Pseudolarix amabilis

Pseudolarix amabilis, commonly called golden larch, is a species of coniferous trees in the pine family Pinaceae. The species are commonly known as golden larch, but being more closely related to Keteleeria, Abies and Cedrus, are not true larches (Larix). P. amabilis is native to eastern China, occurring in small areas in the mountains of southern Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei and eastern Sichuan, at altitudes of 100–1,500 m (328–4,921 ft). The earliest known occurrences are of compression fossils found in the Ypresian Allenby Formation and mummified fossils found in the Late Eocene Buchanan Lake Formation on Axel Heiberg Island.[2]

Pseudolarix amabilis
Temporal range: 49–0 Ma Early Eocene to recent
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Subfamily: Abietoideae
Genus: Pseudolarix
Species:
P. amabilis
Binomial name
Pseudolarix amabilis
(N. Nelson) Rehder
Synonyms
  • †Pseudolarix arnoldii Gooch
  • Pseudolarix fortunei Mayr
  • Pseudolarix kaempferi Gordon
  • Pseudolarix pourtetii Ferré

Growth

It is a deciduous coniferous tree reaching 30–40 m (98–131 ft) tall, with a broad conic crown. The shoots are dimorphic, with long shoots and short shoots similar to a larch, though the short shoots are not so markedly short, lengthening about 5 mm annually. The leaves are bright green, 3–6 cm long and 2–3 mm broad, with two glaucous stomatal bands on the underside; they turn a brilliant golden yellow before falling in the autumn, hence the common name. The leaves are arranged spirally, widely spaced on long shoots, and in a dense whorl on the short shoots.

The cones are distinctive, superficially resembling a small globe artichoke, 4–7 cm long and 4–6 cm broad, with pointed triangular scales; they mature about 7 months after pollination, when (like fir and cedar cones) they disintegrate to release the winged seeds. The male cones, as in Keteleeria, are produced in umbels of several together in one bud.

Characteristics

Golden larch is an attractive ornamental tree for parks and large garden. Unlike the true larches, it is tolerant of summer heat and humidity, growing successfully in the southeastern United States where most larches and firs do not succeed. In Europe growth is most successful in the Mediterranean region with notable specimens in northern Italy; further north in the United Kingdom it will grow, but only very slowly due to the cooler summers.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3][4]

Traditional medicine

Golden larch is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in Chinese herbology, where it is called jīn qián sōng (Chinese: 金钱松). Pseudolarix amabilis is used in traditional Chinese medicine as dermatologic antifungal remedy.

  • Full tree
  • Closeup of bark.
  • Seeds without wings
  • Pollen cones
  • Maturing female cones
  • Needles and mature cone in fall
  • Needle detail in fall
  • Bonsai example

References
  1. Conifer Specialist Group (2000). "Pseudolarix amabilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2000. Retrieved 12 May 2006.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) Database entry includes justification for why this species is listed as data deficient
  2. LePage, B. A.; Basinger, J. F. (1995). "Evolutionary history of the genus Pseudolarix Gordon (Pinaceae)". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 156 (6): 910–950. doi:10.1086/297313. S2CID 84724593.
  3. "Pseudolarix amabilis AGM". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  4. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 83. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
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