Larix decidua 歐洲落葉松

Common name: European Larch
Scientific name: Larix decidua 歐洲落葉松
Genus: Larix 落葉松屬
Family: Pinaceae 松科, pine family
Class: Pinopsida 松柏網
Divison: Pinophyta 松柏門

Origin: Neophyte (established after 1500 AD). It is a native to the Alps and Carpathians (喀爾巴阡山脈, it spans across seven countries - Romania, Slovakia 斯洛伐克, Poland, Ukraine, Serbia 塞爾維亞, Czech Republic and Austria). It was introduced to Britian in 1629.

Date: 22nd March (female cone in Lake District) & 6th April (male and female cone in Peak District)

[075542] A deciduous tree to 45 m. (vs to 35 m in Larix kaempferi 日本落葉松, Japanese Larch) 

[075803] Tree trunks.

[042] Tree trunk.

[045] Flowering female cones are seen with leaf buds now. Very young male cones are very inconspicuous and difficult to see.

[043] Mature female cones of last year can also be seen.

[036_1] A leaf bud with leaves ready to emerge.

[053_1] (taken on 6th April)

Mature leaves in dense clusters of up to 50 on short lateral shoots.

[054_1] (taken on 6th April)

Mature leaves: needles to 30 mm long, <1 mm wide, underside with pale greenish stripes on either side of midrib. (vs leaves undersides with conspicuous whitish lines on either side of midrib in Larix kaempferi 日本落葉松, Japanese Larch)

[642] (taken on 6th April)

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[040_1] Very young male cones.

[040_2] Enlarged photo above showing the bracts of the male cone.

[041_2] Top view of a very young male cone.

[051_1] (taken on 6th April)

Position of male cones with leaves on the branch.

[046_1] (taken on 6th April)
Male cone.

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[035_1] A female cone (flowering cone - the "larch rose" stage) with several leaf buds around.

[037_1] Lateral view of the female cone showing the bracts. The crimson-red bracts (bract scales 苞鱗^) are longer than the seed scales 種鱗 (ovouliferous scales 珠鱗 --could not be seen in the above photo) and clearly visible now.

[047_2] (taken on 6th April)

Later female cones with leaves underneath start growing.

[047_1] (taken on 6th April) It is a monoecious 雌雄同株 plant with both male and female cones producing on the same plant. Leaves are also developing at the same time now.

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[038_1] Mature female cone.

[039_1] Mature female cones oval, 20-40 mm long x 20-25 mm wide, bracts* not recurved at tip. (vs Mature female cones more spherical, about 30 mm long x 25 mm wide, bracts recurved at tips in Larix kaempferi 日本落葉松, Japanese Larch)

[*These bracts are woody ovuliferous scales 珠鱗 that are different from the bract scales 苞鱗^ appeared in young female cone.]