De I. VNER VEW D Forest Trees of the Pacific Slope
De I. VNER VEW D Forest Trees of the Pacific Slope
De I. VNER VEW D Forest Trees of the Pacific Slope
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74 FOREST TREES OF THE PACIFIC SLOPE.<br />
<strong>the</strong> Canadian Rockies and in <strong>the</strong> Great Lakes country, trees from 60 to 80 feet<br />
high and from 20 to 24 inches in diameter were once common, but are now<br />
much rarer, <strong>the</strong> largest trees being seldom over 50 feet high and 12 or 14 inches<br />
thick. It has a single straight, slightly tapering trunk, and a narrow, sharply<br />
conical crown <strong>of</strong> slender, horizontal branches, which, during <strong>the</strong> first 25 or 30<br />
years, and in <strong>the</strong> usual dense stands, extend down to <strong>the</strong> ground. Later <strong>the</strong><br />
trunks are clear <strong>of</strong> branches for one-half or two-thirds <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir length. The<br />
thin, scaly bark is reddish brown, but outwardly more or less wea<strong>the</strong>red to an<br />
ashy brown. Twigs <strong>of</strong> a season's growth are smooth, and whitish at first, but<br />
in winter, dull yellowish brown. Mature leaves (fig. 28), scattered singly on<br />
vigorous leading shoots but elsewhere in clusters <strong>of</strong> about 12 to 20, are indistinctly<br />
triangular in cross-section-convex on <strong>the</strong> top side, with a ridge beneathand<br />
about ; inch to 1J inches long. In cross-section <strong>the</strong> leaf shows 2 minute<br />
resin-ducts close to its outer edges. Cones (fig. 28) are matured in early<br />
autumn <strong>of</strong> one season, are pale russet-brown, as are <strong>the</strong> minute winged seeds<br />
(fig. 28, f), which escape slowly from <strong>the</strong> gradually opened cone-scales during<br />
late autumn or early winter; probably <strong>the</strong> upright position <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cone prevents<br />
<strong>the</strong> rapid escape <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> seeds usual from pendent cones. Seed leaves 5, sharppointed,<br />
and about I an inch long. Wood, pale yellowish brown; in larger<br />
trees, with ra<strong>the</strong>r thin layer <strong>of</strong> whitish sapwood; fine-grained or moderately<br />
coarse-grained, according as <strong>the</strong> trees are grown in dense or open stands;<br />
ra<strong>the</strong>r hard and heavy, and elastic, used commercially chiefly for poles and ties.<br />
LoNoGvITY.-The largest trees are from 150 to 180 years old, while trunks<br />
from 10 to 12 inches through are from 60 to 75 years old. Fur<strong>the</strong>r records <strong>of</strong><br />
longevity are desirable.<br />
duced here (fig. 2 8A), toge<strong>the</strong>r with his description and notes. The writer has not been<br />
able to critically study <strong>the</strong> specimens upon which this species is based. In <strong>the</strong> absence<br />
<strong>of</strong> previous evidence to <strong>the</strong> contrary, a form <strong>of</strong> L. laricina has been held to be <strong>the</strong> larch<br />
commonly met with in Alaska. It is not at all unlikely, however, that <strong>the</strong> Alaskan tree<br />
is distinct, but <strong>the</strong> exceedingly close relationship <strong>of</strong> this tree with L. 7aricina, as shown<br />
by <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cone scales and bracts from specimens representing both species (figs.<br />
28 and 2 8A) suggests that fur<strong>the</strong>r study should be made <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se trees, especially in <strong>the</strong><br />
field.<br />
ALASKA LARcH. Lariat alaskeasis Wight, sp. nov.<br />
"A small tree, attaining a maximum height <strong>of</strong> about 9 m. and a diameter <strong>of</strong> 20 cm.;<br />
leaf-facicles at <strong>the</strong> ends <strong>of</strong> branches 3 to 5 mm. long; leaves pale green, 5 to 20 mm.<br />
long, about 5 mm. broad, rounded on <strong>the</strong> upper surface, slightly keeled on <strong>the</strong> lower;<br />
cones borne at <strong>the</strong> ends <strong>of</strong> lateral branchlets 3 to 5 mm. long, ovoid or short-oblong, 10<br />
to 15 mm. long, 9 to 12 mm. broad; cone scales slightly longer than broad, <strong>the</strong> larger<br />
ones 8 to 10 mm. long, 7 to 9 mm. broad, rounded at <strong>the</strong> apex, abruptly contracted toward<br />
<strong>the</strong> base; bracts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cone about one-third as long as <strong>the</strong> cone scales, ovate, acute;<br />
flowers not seen.<br />
" Distribution.-Upper Kuskowim River to <strong>the</strong> Yukon and Tanana rivers.<br />
" Type-spcincen: No. 379,803, U. S. Nat. Mus.; collected August 6, 1902, at Tanana,<br />
Alaska, by A. J. Collier (No. 117).<br />
" Larix alaskensis differs from L. laricina in its usually shorter leaves, but more particularly<br />
in its cones. The cone scales are longer in proportion to <strong>the</strong>ir breadth; <strong>the</strong><br />
bracts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cone scales are ovate and without a projecting mucronate point at <strong>the</strong> apex,<br />
while L. iaricina has bracts short-oblong to nearly orbicular in outline, and commonly<br />
emarginate or lacerate on ei<strong>the</strong>r side <strong>of</strong> a mucronate projection at <strong>the</strong> apex. From L.<br />
riahurica, <strong>the</strong> most closely related Asiatic species, it differs in its usually shorter leaves,<br />
In its smaller cones, with <strong>the</strong> cone scales less widely spreading in dried specimens, and in<br />
Its narrower cone bracts.<br />
"Between <strong>the</strong> Yukon and Cook Inlet.-Upper Ku3kokwim, Hlerron, August, 1899;<br />
Tanana Valley, east <strong>of</strong> Cantwell River, Brooks & Prindle, August 27, 1902; Kaltag, on<br />
<strong>the</strong> Yukon, Collier, 1902 (No. 14i); Tanana, Collier, 1902 (Nos. 117, 118); Weare,<br />
Georgeson. 1900 (No. 6)."-Reprinted from Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections (Quar<br />
terly Issue), volume 50, 174, PI. xvii. Published July 10, 1907.)