Scientific name: Larix sibirica Ledebour 1833

Synonyms: Larix altaica Fisch. ex Gordon, Larix altaica Fisch. ex Parl., Larix altaica Fisch. ex Parl., Larix europaea Middend., Larix pseudolarix Lodd. ex Gordon, Larix russica (Endl.) Sabine ex Trautv., Larix sukaczewii Dylis, Pinus pseudolarix Steud.

Common names: Siberian larch, Russian larch, Listvenitsa (Russian), Karagai (Tatar)

Description

Tree to 35(-45) m tall, with trunk to 1(-1.5) m in diameter, often tapering rapidly in the lower bole. Bark bright reddish brown, scaly at first, becoming deeply furrowed between narrow, flat-topped ridges. Crown narrowly conical at first, becoming flat-topped and broad with age, especially in open stands, with numerous long, slender horizontal branches. New branchlets pale yellowish brown to grayish yellow, distinctly grooved between the attached leaf bases, noticeably hairy at first. Buds small about 3 mm long, dark brown darkening toward the base, not resinous. Needles of spur shoots straight, (20-)30-40(-50) on each spur, soft, (2-)2.5-3.5(-5) cm long and (0.1-)0.5-1 mm wide, bright green, turning bright yellow in autumn before falling. Pollen cones almost spherical or a little longer, 5-7(-10) mm long, yellow. Seed cones egg-shaped, (2-)2.5-4.5(-5.5) cm long, with (20-)25-40(-50) seed scales, reddish green before maturity, ripening light brown, on a thick, curved stalk 5-10 mm long. Seed body 4-5 mm long, without resin pockets, the firmly clasping wing another (5-)8-12(-17) mm longer.

Widespread in the taiga zone of north-central Eurasia from northwestern Russia across western Siberia (hence the scientific and common names) to the Yenisei River in the north and near Lake Baikal in the south, with outliers in mountains of Mongolia and northwestern China. Forming pure, open stands or mixed with other boreal conifers and hardwoods on a great variety of sites and substrates but reaching its best development on warm, sandy sites generally at higher elevations southward; 0-2,400 m.

Conservation Status

Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern

(This species is too widespread and abundant to qualify for any threatened category and is therefore assessed as Least Concern)

References

Farjon, A. (2010). A Handbook of the World's Conifers. Koninklijke Brill, Leiden.

Eckenwalder, J.E. (2009) Conifers of the World: The Complete Reference. Timber Press, Portland.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Cambridge, UK /Gland, Switzerland