ID Quiz

[John Hancock]

I'll try for Larix x eurolepis

 

Larix yes - but which one??? (branches point upwards at the tips)

[TheTreeWiseMen]

Larix kaempferi?

[John Hancock]

Larix kaempferi?

 

Top Man!!

[Giles Hill]

John, I'm reading this all out of a book, but that's all I've got to go on and I know I sound pedantic, but really I'm just trying to educate myself, and these idents make a good test...

 

Collins states that The distinctions between L eurolepis & L kaempferi can grade to nil because much of the seed was taken from plantations where these are mixed. More seed comes from plantations themselves hybrids, and this second generation shows all the variations between the original parents. True hybrids differ from L. Kaempferi in paler shoot, longer leaf less whitish beneath and long-conic cones with scale tips pointing upwards, not curled down.

 

Whereas L. Kaempferi cones are described as: 'more dumpy than L. decidua, ripen to brown, flattened-bun-shaped cones with edges of scales strongly turned out and down

 

I was wondering if the cones on your tree would curl out as they ripened, but the pic below is reputedly of L. Kaempferi and the tips are curling on the green cone - there's a better green cone pic on the Myerscough site, but I can't seem to access it at the moment.

 

 

That pic came from here:

 

Larix kaempferi Fact Sheet

[Giles Hill]

Here's a pic of L. Kaempferi cones from the Myerscough ident utility:

 

[John Hancock]

Here's a pic of L. Kaempferi cones from the Myerscough ident utility:

 

Oh dear, I feel I've dug myself a hole! lol The reason I went for Kaempferi is that I have both varieties in the same park and the difference in form is a lot more obvious. (not saying your not wrong though Giles)

 

I'll pop out and try and get some pics later...

[John Hancock]

Collins Field Guide states – ‘Crown – Broadly conic, seldom as narrow as L.decidua, often with very long, low branches sweeping out and slightly up; upper branches also bend up somewhat towards the tips; branchlets do not hang. Stands look orange-brown in winter from a distance’.

 

It was the low branches, sweeping out and slightly up that led me to believe its Larix kaempferi.

[stevelucocq]

hi, same as you giles I am ever keen to learn more so don’t want to sound pedantic but........I went for Larix x marschlinsii (Hybrid between decidua and kaempferi) for the same ID reason as you with the cone description….. On the Myerscough website it is given the marschlinsii name but in other ID books it is given eurolepis. Is it the same tree and I/myerscough using the old name? Thanks steve.

[Giles Hill]

Hi Steve,

 

I was wondering about that too - and then after I posted my guess, I noticed on the Myerscough site, below the common name it says 'Synonyms: Larix x eurolepis'.

[Giles Hill]

(not saying your not wrong though Giles)

 

It won't be the first time John.

 

I'm glad you posted the picture, even if I have got it wrong, because before you did, I didn't have any idea how to tell apart the 3 larches that are listed on the Tech Cert ID list. I feel like I might stand half a chance now.

 

The only worry is the written exams come first and the topics for those seem to be mostly stuff that varies between tedious and pointless.

Edited May 20, 2009 by Giles Hill