De I. VNER VEW D Forest Trees of the Pacific Slope

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FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE.
dry, gravelly sand, in peat bogs, and grows also in cold clay soils. Occurs in pure and
mixed stands. On sandy plains and gravelly slopes, in pure, crowded stands of slander
trees. On cold clay soils, often with coast form of lodgepole pine and Gowen cypress;
sometimes also mingled with live oaks, Douglas fir, California laurel, wax myrtle, and
madrofia.
CLIMATIC CONDITIONs.-Temperature of range rarely below 250 or above 950 F. Rainfall,
from 20 Inches In north to 11 inches In south; snow almost unknown. Atmospheric
moisture, high; more than one-third of days cloudy or foggy.
TOLERANCE.-One of most tolerant pines; frequently in dense stands with fairly heavy
crown cover and soil with good humus.
REPRODUCTION.-Cood seeder, hearing cones when quite young and about every year.
Seed of high germination and with very persistent vitality (a number of years) when
held in closed cones. Seeds shed tardily ; opening of cones hastened by fire, which Is
usually followed by dense reproduction. Aggressive, extending its range particularly
over cut and burned redwood lands contigaous to it; then often replacing former forest
by its dense growth.
LARIX. LARCHES.
The larches,a also called tamaracks, lose their leaves every fall, their branches
becoming bare in winter and in the spring putting forth new foliage. Their
leaves resemble somewhat those of other conifers in being needle-shaped; but
they are really distinct from all the rest of our native cone-bearers in being
produced in little brush-like bundles, from 12 to 40 leaves in each (figs. 26 to
28), on all but the leading shoots, on which the leaves are scattered singly. The
little bud-like spurs which bear bundles of leaves are really aborted or suppressed
branchlets, which, if drawn out by growth, would show their leaves
disposed as in the leading shoots. Male and female flowers are borne singly
on the same branches or twigs of the previous year's growth. The male, or
pollen-bearing, flowers are small, rounded, or elongated yellow-green bodies
about the size of a small pea, and are borne naked; the female flowers, which
produce cones and seeds, are also small, but are scaly. They are usually bright
purple or red, and are accompanied by a bundle of leaves.
The cones of larches mature in a single season and often remain on the trees
for one or several seasons. Two winged seeds are borne under each of the thin
cone scales. Larch cones open shortly after they are matured and shed their
seed. Seed-leaves, 5 to 6 or 7. Succeeding these the young stem bears single
scattered leaves, as do also the leading shoots of branches. This manner of
leaf growth continues for several years, and then the seedling begins to produce
the adult clusters of leaves.
The larches are important forest trees. They produce straight, tall stems, the
wood of which is strong, moderately durable, and especially useful for round
and pole timber, as well as for saw timber.
At least three species of larch inhabit the United States. One is found
mainly in northeastern United States and the Canadian provinces, extending
westward to southern Alaska. The two others inhabit the northwestern United
States, extending northward into Canada. A fourth species is probably confined
to Alaska.
Western Larch.
Larir occidentalis Nuttall.
DISTINGTUISHIING CHARACTERISTICS.
Western larch is the largest and most massive of North American larches.
Its straight trunks grow ordinarily to a height of from 100 to 180 feet and to
- The name Larch (from Larixr) is properly applied only to trees of the genus Larkr.
During the last twenty-five years, however, "larch" has been, and still is, applied by lumbermen
and woodsmen to the noble fir, Abies nobilis. This tree is a true fir or " balsam "
and in no way directly related to the larches. The use of " larch " as a name for this
tree should be discontinued. It has led to much confusion.