Larix potaninii
Larix potaninii
The Chinese larch (Larix potaninii ) is a coniferous tree from the species of larch. It is especially noticeable by their cones with far superior bracts. The range of the species is in China and Nepal.
- 5.1 Literature
- 5.2 Notes and references
Description
Larix potaninii forms 40 to 50 meter high trees with diameter at breast height of 1 to 1.5 meters. The trunk is straight or curved, the Stammborke rough and scaly, gray and dark brown in the cracks. The tree crown is broadly conical or dome-shaped. The main branches are long, erect or horizontal standing and slightly pendulous at the ends. The side branches are thin and drooping. The branches are thin and firm and later long, flexible and continuous. The bark of the branches is initially deep red-brown or yellowish- orange with gray grooves, they will later haired gray and bare or isolated in the grooves. Short shoots are small and cylindrical, they are 3-5 millimeters long and have diameters of 3-8 mm. The leaf buds are ovate to rounded, 3 mm long with a diameter of 2.5 millimeters and resinous. The bud scales are dull reddish-brown triangular and dark.
Needles
About 20 to 40 needles grow densely and spirally on short shoots in Scheinwirteln. The needles are soft, 1.2 to 3.5 inches long and about 1 mm wide, narrowly linear, above the middle with more or less at the widest triangular cross-section. The underside is keeled, the apex obtuse. The needle top shows several weak stomatal strips, the bottom two narrow stomatal bands. The needles are light green color and yellow in autumn.
Cones and seeds
The pollen cones are yellow, about 10 mm long and are at the ends of short shoots. The seed cones stand upright at the ends of short shoots hanging branches. They are cylindrical or elliptical with blunt tip. They are 3-5 inches long, rarely from 2.5 to 9 inches, and have shed with open diameter of 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters, rarely up to 3.5 centimeters. Unripe seed cones are purple with reddish bracts, mature cones are dark brown with reddish- black bracts. The pins 35 to 65, rarely to 80 seed scales formed on short stalks that are on the stud center 9-13 mm long and 9-12 mm wide. They are smooth or wrinkled and hairless. The outer area of the shed is entire or irregularly dentate with rounded or truncated tip and not bent. The bracts are prominent, broadly ligulate - lanceolate with acute to stachelspitzigem end. They are 12 to 22 mm long and 4-5 mm wide, dark red to blackish color with some lighter midrib. The seeds are triangular - ovate, somewhat flattened, 3 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, pale brown with dark spots. They are 6-8 mm long and 4-5 mm wide, obovate, brown wings with a slight red coloration.
Distribution and ecology
The distribution area of Chinese larch is in Nepal and China. In China they are found in the south of Gansu and Shaanxi, in the west of Sichuan, to the northwest of Yunnan and to the east and south of Tibet. The species grows in the high mountains at altitudes of 2350-4300 meters on acidic soils. The climate is cold, the annual precipitation ranging from 800 to 2000 millimeters. At high altitudes, it often grows in pure stands with the scaly juniper (Juniperus squamata ) in the undergrowth. At lower altitudes, they can be found along with various fir and spruce species, with the Himalayan Hemlock ( Tsuga dumosa ), the Chinese hemlock ( Tsuga chinensis) and with representatives of yew (Taxus ) and head yew ( Cephalotaxus ).
In the IUCN Red List Larix potaninii is not as vulnerable ( " Lower Risk / least concern " ) out. The variety Larix potaninii var himalaica as threatened ( vulnerable ). It is used for both data indicated that a re-evaluation of the risk is necessary.
Systematics and history of research
The Chinese larch (Larix potaninii ) is a species of the genus larches ( Larix). Farjon distinguishes four varieties:
- Larix potaninii var potaninii with 3.5 to 5.5 long seed cones which reach a diameter of 1.5 to 3 centimeters in open bracts. The pegs are made from 35 to 65 seed scales. The distribution area is located in southern Gansu and Shaanxi, in the west of Sichuan, northwestern Yunnan and Eastern Tibet in.
- Larix chinensis var potaninii by measuring and dense yellow hairs short shoots with 3 to 4 millimeters. Seeds pins 2.5 to 5 centimeters long and are open in diameter from 1.5 to 2.8 centimeters. The bottom of the seed scales is furrowed. The distribution area of the variety lies in the south of Shaanxi Taibai Shan on ( Qin Ling ).
- Larix potaninii var himalaica with a maximum of 6.5 -inch-long seed cones that have mucronate pointed bracts. Young twigs are orange yellow. This variety is listed in the Flora of China as a separate species (Larix himalaica ), but the morphological differences more quantitatively and the transitions between the varieties fluently. Furthermore, the representatives also show the standing of Larix potaninii typical upright bracts. The distribution area is located in Nepal and Tibet. Secure deposits are found only in some valleys in the area around Mount Everest, in Tibet as Chomolungma in the National Park.
- Larix potaninii macrocarpa var with 5 to 8 to 9 inches long and rarely seed cones reach the diameter of 2.5 to 3.5 centimeters. The pegs are made from 50 to 80 seed scales. The distribution area of the variety lies in the southwest of Sichuan and northwestern Yunnan.
After the Germplasm Resources Information Network chinensis and himalaica is potaninii addition to the varieties, as a fourth variety Larix potaninii var australis differed, their distribution is in Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet. This variety is not recognized by Farjon, it counts representatives potaninii for variety. The Flora of China distinguishes three varieties potaninii, australis and chinensis.
The specific epithet potaninii reminiscent of the Russian botanist Grigory Nikolaevich Potanin, who traveled in 1880 through western China and plants collected.
Use
The Chinese larch is used in the western mountains of China as a major supplier of timber. The wood is durable and is used as construction timber, used in mining and railway sleepers, but also for veneers and in the paper industry. Outside China, it is rarely planted, although their journal with the above and upward bracts have a high ornamental value. The bark contains tannins.