西伯利亚落叶松 xian bei luo ye song

Larix decidua subsp. sibirica (Ledebour) Domin; L. decidua var. sibirica (Ledebour) Regel; L. russica (Endlicher) Sabine ex Trautvetter; L. sukaczewii Dylis; Pinus larix Linnaeus var. russica Endlicher.

Trees to 40 m tall; trunk to 80 cm d.b.h.; bark dark gray to dark brown, rough, longitudinally fissured; crown conical, branchlets not pendulous, yellow or yellowish gray, glossy, densely hairy when young, glabrescent; short branchlets densely grayish hairy at apex; winter buds subglobose. Leaves 2-4 cm, keeled abaxially, apex acute or obtuse. Seed cones purplish or reddish brown, rarely green, maturing pale brown or purplish brown, ovoid or narrowly so, 2.5-4.5 × 2-3.5 cm. Seed scales 25-40, ovate or narrowly rhombic-ovate, 1.5-2 × 1-1.8 cm, usually densely rusty brown pubescent abaxially, rarely subglabrous, apex obtuse. Bracts included, violet, oblong-lanceolate, 1/4-1/2 as long as seed scales, midvein elongated into a caudate cusp. Seeds light gray, obliquely obovoid, 1-1.5 cm including wing. Pollination May, seed maturity Sep-Oct.

Mountains, lowland taiga; 500-3500 m. Xinjiang [Mongolia, E Russia]

The timber is used for construction, bridge building, vehicles, poles, and making furniture, and the bark yields tannins. The species is also cultivated for afforestation and as an ornamental.