Larix decidua

Miller

Common names

European larch; Gemeine Lärche; Mélèze d'Europe (Farjon 1990). Var. polonica: Larice, zada [Polish].

Taxonomic notes

Syn: Pinus larix L.; Larix europaea Lam. & DC.; L. sudetica Domin (Farjon 1990). Two varieties:

(1) Larix decidua var. polonica (Racib.) Ostenf. & Syrach Larsen (syn: L. polonica Racib.; L. decidua ssp. polonica (Racib.) Domin) (Farjon 1990).

(2) Larix decidua var. carpatica Domin (syn: L. carpatica Domin) (Farjon 1990).

Description

Until this page is updated, the best I know is by Farjon (1990).

Range

SE France, Switzerland, N Italy, S Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia and NW Yugoslavia in the Alps and the Carpathian Mountains at (600-)1000-2200(-2500) m (Farjon 1990).

Variety carpatica is in the E Carpathian Mountains and in the NW Ukraine (Farjon 1990).

Big tree

A specimen 271 cm dbh and 30 m tall is known in the Ulten Valley, Saint Nicholas, Italy (International Dendrology Society Year Book 1984). There is also a record of a specimen 261 cm dbh and 28 m tall in Santa Geltrude in the Trentino Alto, Ultimo, BZ, Italy (Corpo Forestale Della Stato, a listing of big trees in Italy, link now defunct). A tree 95 cm dbh and 46 m tall is recorded for Glenlee Park, Dumfries and Galloway, UK (Mitchell et al. 1990).

Oldest

One tree-ring collection, presumably based on living-tree material, covers 986 years (International Tree-Ring Data Bank, chronology FRAN010, limiting dates 988-1974). The tree pictured at left yielded a 980 year ring count that did not go to pith (Renzo Motta, pers. comm. Jul-2000).

Dendrochronology

Some particularly interesting work involving the ecophysiology of ring development has been done recently (Oleksyn & Fritts 1991).

Ethnobotany

An important timber tree in Europe, where it has been planted extensively as a crop.

Observations

Remarks

Var. polonica is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Citations

See also

FEIS database.