Larix kaempferi (Cultivated)

Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) Carrière, Fl. Serres Jard. Eur. 11: 97 1856. (Syn: Abies kaempferi (Lamb.) Lindl.; Abies leptolepis Siebold & Zucc.; Laricopsis kaempferi (Lamb.) A.H.Kent; Larix japonica Carrière; Larix japonica A.Murray [Illegitimate]; Larix kaempferi f. pendula (Beissn.) Yonek. ..; Larix leptolepis (Siebold & Zucc.) Gordon …; Larix orientalis Thunb.; Pinus japonica Thunb.; Pinus kaempferi Lamb.; Pinus larix Thunb.; Pinus leptolepis (Siebold & Zucc.) Endl.; Pinus nummularia Gordon [Invalid]; Pseudolarix kaempferi (Lamb.) Gordon);

C. Japan as per WCSP;

Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi; Karamatsu (唐松) 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.

(from Wikipedia on 12.12.13)