[194] Larix decidua, Larch

[194] Larix decidua, Larch

Introduction

Larix decidua, the European Larch, is a deciduous coniferous tree. Although not strictly a native tree, in the UK we just call it the Larch.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Clade – Vascular Plants

Division- Pinophyta (Gynnosperms – Conifers)

Class – Pinopsida (Conifers)

Order – Pinales (All extant conifers)

Family – Pinaceae

Subfamily – Laricoideae

Genus – Larix

Scientific Name – Larix decidua

With plants there is no agreement as to the level corresponding to Phylum or Division.

Name

The English name larch comes via Old Germanic from the Latin larix, which comes from Ancient Greek. The Latin decidua, which of course means deciduous, comes from ‘falling down.’

Description

We can divide the world of plants into flowering plants, which forms the vast majority of species, and Gymnosperms (Conifers,) of which there are only a few hundred species. Even leaving out ferns, mosses and some minor outside groups, we might assume the following.

• All Angiosperms have leaves.
• All Gymnosperms have needles.
• All Angiosperms are deciduous.
• All Gymnosperms are evergreen.
• All cone-bearing trees are Gymnosperms.

None of these assumptions are true. There are exceptions. In the UK the Larch is the only coniferous tree that is deciduous. Its leaves drop off in the autumn as for most ordinary Angiosperms.

(Of course, the last sentence isn’t true either! The Larch is the only deciduous member of the order Pinales, corresponding to what we call Coniferous trees. We have seen that several deciduous trees such as [017] Alder and [051] Birch, have fruits that are effectively cones.)

Beyond that, almost all coniferous trees look much the same. They are all tall, sturdy trees with needles instead of leaves and they produce cones. The Larch is superficially similar to the others. Its old cones can remain on the tree several years after releasing their seeds.

It is a long-lived species and is reputed to live for a thousand years,

It was introduced into Britain in the early Seventeenth Century, initially in Scotland.

Habitat and use

Larix decidua is native to the Alps and other mountainous areas of Europe.

It is now both naturalized and cultivated across much of the USA and Canada.

It is cultivated as an ornamental tree in gardens and parks and also for its timber – especially for yacht building and for fence poles. It is a popular species for bonsai.

See also

We have a few more coniferous trees to come.