Larix gmelinii

Dahurian larch in the Kolyma region.

The Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii ) is a flowering plant in the genus of larches ( Larix) within the family (Pinaceae ).

Description

The Dahurian larch is reached of 1.5 meters, a deciduous tree of conical to narrow columnar growth, the growth heights of up to about 35 meters and trunk diameter ( diameter at breast height ). The bark on young trees is smooth and reddish brown; they will later dark gray and scaly. The bark of young branches is about 1 mm thick yellow-brown and gray-brown later. The bright green needle-like leaves turn yellow in autumn. They are arranged spirally on long shoots and short shoots are bündelig 20 to 30 needles together. The needles have a length of 15 to 30 mm and a width of 0.5 to 1 mm.

The Dahurian larch is monoecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( monoecious ). The male cones are on short shoots are 5-7 mm long and yellow. The female cones stand upright on short shoots with a curved handle. The pins have a length of 0.8 to 4 cm and a diameter of 0.8 to 3 cm. They are initially purple when ripe they are brown; old cones remain on the tree until the branches fall off. Each pin has 14 to 45 oval to five -edged, in the middle area of the pin from 0.5 to 1.5 × 0.4 to 1.2 cm large seeds shed. The bracts have one third to one half the length of the seed scales. The seeds are gray with light brown dots, 2-3 × 1-2 mm in size - with the bright orange - brown wings 10 mm. Pollination is from May to June, and the seeds ripen in September.

Occurrence

The home of Dahurischen larch is East Asia. Rarely it is also planted as a park tree.

The Dahurian larch is the most in the north ( 72 ° 30 'N, 102 ° 27 ' E) viable tree. However, under these extreme climatic conditions it grows only to a hingekauerten shrub. In addition, it is one next to the East Asian dwarf pine ( Pinus pumila ) to the hardiest trees, as they can withstand temperatures of -70 ° C without damage.

System

The first description was in 1854 by Franz Josef Ruprecht. Your scientific name carries the Dahurian larch after Siberia researcher and author of the Flora sibirica Johann Georg Gmelin.

There are four varieties:

• Larix gmelinii ( Rupr. ) Kuzen. gmelinii var
• Larix gmelinii var japonica ( usually ) pilgrims
• Larix gmelinii var principis - rupprechtii ( Mayr ) pilgrims
• Larix gmelinii var olgensis (Henry) East Field & Syrach Larsen ( Syn: Larix olgensis Henry)

Swell

• Christopher J. Earle: Larix gmelinii. In: The Gymnosperm Database. May 27, 2011, accessed 6 November 2011 (English).