European Larch (Larix decidua) Family: Pinaceae
The only deciduous British conifer, though not a British native – from mountains of central Europe, introduced to Britain ~C17. Male flowers whitish with purple edges then yellow, appearing after the female flowers which are pink then purple then green, March-April. Needles up to 30mm long, <1mm wide in dense clusters of up to 50 on short lateral shoots.
Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi) is widely used as a forestry crop and in parks. The two species differ in the underside of the needles and shape of the female cone. In European Larch the underside of the needle has pale greenish striped either side of the midrib, whitish in Japanese Larch. The cones are oval in European Larch, more spherical in Japanese Larch; the bracts are recurved at the tip in Japanese but not in European Larch.
The hybrid between these two species L.x marschlinsii is now more often grown in forestry than either parent and is fertile.
All images on this page obtained late April in the Cairngorms NP
Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi) is widely used as a forestry crop and in parks. The two species differ in the underside of the needles and shape of the female cone. In European Larch the underside of the needle has pale greenish striped either side of the midrib, whitish in Japanese Larch. The cones are oval in European Larch, more spherical in Japanese Larch; the bracts are recurved at the tip in Japanese but not in European Larch.
The hybrid between these two species L.x marschlinsii is now more often grown in forestry than either parent and is fertile.
All images on this page obtained late April in the Cairngorms NP