Larix kaempferi
| Japanese larch | |
|---|---|
| File:Larix kaempferi Oze NP.jpg | |
| Larix kaempferi in autumn in Oze National Park, Fukushima, Japan | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Pinaceae |
| Genus: | Larix |
| Species: | L. kaempferi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Larix kaempferi | |
Larix kaempferi, the Japanese larch[2] or karamatsu (唐松 or 落葉松) in Japanese, is a species of larch native to Japan, in the mountains of Chūbu and Kantō regions in central Honshū.[3]
It is a medium-sized to large deciduous coniferous tree reaching 20–40 m tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter. The crown is broad conic; both the main branches and the side branches are level, the side branches only rarely drooping. The shoots are dimorphic, with growth divided into long shoots (typically 10–50 cm long) and bearing several buds, and short shoots only 1–2 mm long with only a single bud. The leaves are needle-like, light glaucous green, 2–5 cm long; they turn bright yellow to orange before they fall in the autumn, leaving the pinkish-brown shoots bare until the next spring.[3]
The cones are erect, ovoid-conic and 2–3.5 cm long, with 30–50 reflexed seed scales; they are green when immature, turning brown and opening to release the seeds when mature, 4–6 months after pollination. The old cones commonly remain on the tree for many years, turning dull grey-black.[3]
It grows at altitudes up to 2,900 m on well-drained soils, avoiding waterlogged ground.[citation needed]
The scientific name honours Engelbert Kaempfer. It is also sometimes known by the synonym Larix leptolepis.[4]
Uses
[edit | edit source]Japanese larch is an important tree in forestry plantations, being grown throughout central and northern Japan (north to Hokkaidō), and also widely in northern Europe, particularly Ireland and Britain. The wood is tough and durable, and is used for general construction work. Small larch poles are commonly used for fencing.
Cultivation
[edit | edit source]Larix kaempferi is used for ornamental purposes in parks and gardens.[5] It is also widely used as material for bonsai.[6] The dwarf cultivars 'Blue Dwarf',[7] growing to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) tall and broad, and 'Nana',[8] growing to 1 m (3.3 ft) tall and broad, have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[9]
Diseases
[edit | edit source]In late 2009 Phytophthora ramorum or sudden oak death disease was first found in Japanese larch trees, in the English counties of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.[10] The disease was found in Counties Waterford and Tipperary in Ireland the following year.[11]
Gallery
[edit | edit source]-
Old cone and young needles growing out of a branch
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Bark on the tree's trunk
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cones and seeds - museum specimen
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Needles
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Developing seed cones
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Male cones
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Young female cone
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Old seed cones
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References
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- ^ a b c Farjon, A. (1990). Pinaceae. Drawings and Descriptions of the Genera. Koeltz Scientific Books Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)..
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External links
[edit | edit source]- Larix kaempferi images at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Plant Image Database
- Gymnosperm Database: Larix kaempferi
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