''Larix lyallii'', the subalpine larch, or simply alpine larch, is a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...

ous tree native to northwestern

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. It lives at high altitudes, from , in the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, and

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

. There is a disjunct population in the

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. Subalpine larch is hardy and can survive at low temperatures and on thin rocky soils, often being found near the

tree line The tree line is the edge of a habitat at which trees are capable of growing and beyond which they are not. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually low ...

. It can grow in a variety of soils as long as the soil is moist but well drained. However, it is relatively shade intolerant. David Lyall seems to have discovered the species between 1858 and 1861. John Bernhard Leiberg described it in 1900.

Description

''Larix lyallii'' is a small tree, growing from tall and shorter at higher elevations. It has a straight trunk with a sparse and somewhat conical crown. The branches are horizontal, perpendicular to the trunk, irregularly spaced and twisted. The twigs are finely hairy. The needles are four-angled, long and crowded in groups of 30 to 40 on short spurs. They are pale blue-green and deciduous, turning golden yellow in autumn. The seed cones, long, are red-purple when young but become dark brown with age. They have thin scales and narrow bracts that extend over the scales. The pollen and seed cones become active in early summer. The bark is about 2.5 cm thin and turns from yellow-gray to dark red-brown with age. It also becomes deeply furrowed into small, scaly plates. The tree is also one of the longest-lived tree species. There is record of a specimen in Kananaskis, Alberta, which has been understood to be about 2,000 years old, the oldest tree in Canada.

Uses

The bark contains

tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and Precipitation (chemistry), precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' is widel ...

and the wood is strong, heavy, and durable.

References

External links

Gymnosperm Database: ''Larix lyallii''

Virginia Tech Dendrology: ''Larix lyallii''

Treelib.ca: ''Larix lyalii''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1404234 lyallii Flora of Alberta Flora of British Columbia Flora of Idaho Flora of Montana Flora of Washington (state) Deciduous conifers Trees of Northern America