Larix sibirica

Siberian larch (Larix sibirica )

The Siberian larch (Larix sibirica ) is a species of the genus of larches ( Larix) in the pine family ( Pinaceae ). It is native to Russia and Mongolia and where it is one of the most important forest trees.

  • 6.1 subspecies
  • 6.2 varieties

Description

Habit

The Siberian larch is a deciduous tree, the plant height of 45 meters is reached, however, remains relatively slim with a trunk diameter ( DBH ) of 175 centimeters. The straight stem ends in a Ovates to pyramidal crown. It consists in the upper part of branches arranged armleuchterartig. The species is fast growing and is one of the fastest-growing, frost- hard trees. The growth culminates in an age of approximately 30 years, but can then still be up to 500 years old.

Root

The depths of up to 1.5 meters encroaching taproot is part of a deep -reaching and intensely branched root system. On muddy ground the kind adventitious roots formed. The Siberian larch is one among other mycorrhizal partnerships with the Goldröhrling ( Suillus grevillei ), the Reddish Lacktrichterling ( Laccaria laccata ), the fly agaric (Amanita mauscaria ), the Bocksdickfuß ( Cortinarius camphoratus ) Corticium bicolor, Boletinus paluster and C. geophilum.

Bark

The bark of young branches is, in contrast to the European larch (Larix decidua), more or less hairy. The trunks of young trees have a brown, thin and smooth bark. Old trees have a gray, deeply fissured and unusually thick bark, which can amount to the base of the trunk about 14 to 15 % of the way through.

Wood

The reddish brown heartwood differs in color from bright sapwood. The heavy wood is durable and has good visible annual rings. The resin canals are mainly focused on the late wood. The density at a moisture content of 15 % is 0.62 to 0.70 g / cm ³.

Foliage

The flexible needles are light green with a rather blunt tip. They sit on short shoots in bunches of 10 to 60 with a length of 5 to 60 millimeters; on long shoots grow individually spiral with a length 3 to 4 centimeters. In the fall the needles turn yellowish and fall, as with all larches, as winter approaches from.

Flowers, cones and seeds

The Siberian larch is reached puberty at an age of 12 and 15, the cone production reaches its maximum at 30 to 40 years. The standing on short shoots female cones are dyed red, rarely green. Mature cones are 10 to 50 millimeters long and light brown. They consist of 9-44 cone scales are arranged spirally. The cone scales are oval to spoon-shaped hairs and reddish. The bracts are visible. The light brown colored and marked with dark spots seeds of Siberian larch be released in winter. They are 3-7 mm long and 3-4 mm wide and are winged. The thousand grain weight varies greatly and is 3.8 to 9.6 grams. As with all the empty larch cones still remain around 3 to 4 years on the tree until they drop, including branch.

Dissemination

Native is the Siberian larch in western Siberia, in the mountains of southern Siberia and in the Central Siberian Plateau of northern Mongolia. It accounts for around 14 % of Russian larch forests. It forms in Siberia, the polar and montane tree line at about 68 ° N (or N 74 ° depending on the author ). Attachments for timber production were carried out in Finland and Sweden. In other European countries the Siberian larch is rarely found in botanical gardens or arboretums.

Location

The Siberian larch forms in the natural habitat mixed stands with Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), Siberian spruce (Picea obovata ), Siberian fir ( Abies sibirica ) and aspen (Populus tremula ). She is a tree species of the continental climate. She only has low heat claims, but is light demanding. Also only low demands it imposes on moisture and soil quality and growing alike on silicate and limestone soils at altitudes up to 2,400 meters. She is featured in some areas with annual rainfall of 200 to 300 mm. The Siberian larch can withstand short-term flooding and is moderately sensitive to immission.

Diseases and Pests

An insect pests of the gypsy moth ( Lymantria dispar ), the gray larch bud moth ( Zeiraphera griseana ), the Gluckenart Dendrolimus superans, Hylotrechus altaica and various species of the genus Strobilobia be called. At wood-destroying harmful fungi of pine wood fungus ( Phellinus pini ) and Fomitopsis officinalis be called. Lachnellula willkommii, the causative agent of larch cancer, occurs very rarely and plays no economic role.

Use

The wood of the Siberian larch is hard and durable and is therefore of great economic importance. It is often used for garden fencing, wooden facades, patio floors and the like, as the wood is very weather resistant due to the high resin content. The resin is a starting material for processing into rosin. Furthermore, the Siberian Larch is a staple food for reindeer in tundra and northern taiga. It is grown as a windbreak and as a decorative element in gardens and parks.

For medical use of phytochemical and the biologically active flavonoid taxifolin ( DHQ ) is extracted from certain parts of larch trunks by liquid chromatography. With a purity of 98-99 %, the larch extract reached pharmaceutical quality. Taxifolin has a broad spectrum of activity on the human organism. In addition to those beneficial effects in cardiovascular diseases ( vasodilator and vascular stabilizing blood pressure-lowering ) the binding ability of reactive oxygen species ROS, the antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties.

System

The first description of the German botanist Carl Friedrich von Ledebour appeared in the fourth and final volume of his Flora altaica 1833.

There are the following synonyms for Larix sibirica Ledeb. Larix sukaczewii Dylis, Larix RUSSICA ( Endl. ) Sabine ex Trautv, Larix decidua var RUSSICA Henkel & Hock Stetter, Larix decidua var sibirica ( Ledeb. ) rule, Larix intermedia Fischer ex Turczaninow. , Pinus larix var RUSSICA Endl. , Pinus intermedia ( Fischer) Turczaninow, Pinus ledebouri ( Ruprecht ) Endl. , Abies ledebourii Ruprecht.

The Artbastard Larix × czekanowskii Szafer arises when the Siberian larch hybridized with the Dahurischen larch (Larix gmelinii ).

Subspecies

There are known the following subspecies:

  • Larix sibirica subsp. altaica ( Szafer ) occurs in the Altai region.
  • Larix sibirica subsp. jenisseensis occurs in the catchment area of ​​the Jenisseis.
  • Larix sibirica subsp. obensis Suk. occurs in the catchment area of the Ob, with the exception of the Altai. Will usually with subsp. rossica to subsp. sukaczewii summarized.
  • Larix sibirica subsp. rossica ( Sab. ) occurs in the northern and north-eastern part of European Russia. Will usually with subsp. obensis to subsp. sukaczewii summarized.
  • Larix sibirica subsp. sibirica is the specific type
  • Larix sibirica subsp. sukaczewii occurs in the Urals and in the northeastern part of European Russia. Has mostly colored green, broadly ovate cones whose bracts are not visible. The woody seed scales are large, broad and thick, and its tip is bent inward. It is controversial whether this subspecies will be run as a separate species Larix sukaczewii.

Varieties

We distinguish the following varieties:

  • Larix sibirica var baicalensis occurs on the south-eastern and south-western shore of Lake Baikal.
  • Larix sibirica var lenesis occurs in the upper reaches of the Lena River and the area of the Angara.
  • Larix sibirica var polaris occurs in the northern regions of Siberia.
  • Larix sibirica var sajanensis occurs at the headwaters of Jenisseis.
  • Larix sibirica var transbaicalensis occurs in the region Zabaikalie.
Pinophyta Candlestick Wood#Heartwood and sapwood Altai Mountains Angara River
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