This was sold as a Larix kaempferi, but suspect it could have some hybrid traits. The paper is 5 lines to an inch, not the more common (in the US) 4 X 4. I can't find my caliper at the moment but I could get an exact measure of it later, if that would help.
This has illustration showing relevant details. And clicking on the hyperlinked botanical name brings up a description. With clicking on hyperlinked genus name at that latter page leading to a genus description with a key to species. Illustration: Larix kaempferi (efloras.org) Otherwise Dunkeld larch - and how to tell it - is discussed here. Larix × eurolepis - Trees and Shrubs Online
Probably Japanese, but Hybrid is possible. Can you soak the cone in water, and take another pic when it has closed up, please? And include a centimetre scale, please, '5 lines to an inch' is totally meaningless!
Michael - fat chance finding centimetre ruled paper in the US! I can probably find a centimetre ruler...
@Michael F, be nice. One inch is 2.54 cm, so the paper has five lines to roughly 2.5 cm, or the lines make each square side 5 mm.
Alrighty, I soaked the cone in water for over 2 days, I think it's done whatever it's going to do. I found my digital calipers and set them to Michael F's preferred millimeters. Not counting the little stub leftover from the stalk, it is 34 X 26 mm.
Excellent, thanks! I'm going to come down on the side of Dunkeld Larch (the hybrid between European and Japanese Larches), the cone is taller than normal for pure Japanese; that has cones that are still ± globose when closed. In Britain at least, hybrids (including back-crosses with both parents!) are a lot commoner than pure Japanese; for a safe comparison of guaranteed Japanese Larch, I've found a photo from Japan where it is native, here.
Thanks Michael/Pineresin. Please pardon the banal Americanism, but you da man. What I hope this tree to be is a backcross of Dunkeld with a Japanese. General observations about it...compared to my other survivor larch*, it colors a bit later in autumn, and is yellower, whereas the other is more orange. The habit is very sparse but it was sheltered for many years by a huge branch of a maple; it's focusing on upright growth, it seems, since that was removed. The whole maple will be removed in 2-3 more years once I'm sure this can shade rhododendrons like the one in the picture. This picture shows the larch, my huge Metasequoia 'Ogon', and one of my 2 Abies firma. They look really close together but they are actually about 20' apart from each other. The 'Ogon' was planted as a 0.7m whip in spring 2010, probably grafted the prior winter, and is now 15m. * tried at least 12 Dunkelds and Japanese over the years, and most died of rot root or just, "something". The other one hasn't coned yet.
A bit late : I have a dozen Larix x eurolepis (syn : Larix x marschlinsii) that I train as bonsai. March 2015. Male (hanging down) and female (upright) flowers. Mature cones (Oct.2015) Oct. 30th, 2021 : They don't flower every year...
Thanks Alain, that takes an impressive amount of work. As a rare plant collector it's hard enough for me keep my plants alive when they aren't in a pot with soil volume of 1000ccs!
