Japanese Larch

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Japanese Larch

Bark and leaves

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Pinaceae
Genus:	Larix
Species:	L. kaempferi

Binomial name

Larix kaempferi
(Lamb.) Carr.

Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi; Karamatsu in Japanese) is a species of larch native to Japan, in the mountains of Chūbu and Kantō regions in central Honshū.^[1]

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.^[1]

The cones are erect, ovoid-conic, 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.^[1]

It grows at 500-2,900 m altitude on well-drained soils, avoiding waterlogged ground.

The scientific name honours Engelbert Kaempfer. It is also sometimes known by the synonym Larix leptolepis.

[edit] Uses

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 the British Isles. The wood is tough and durable, used for general construction work. Small larch poles are widely used for rustic fencing.