Virtual Microscopy
Microscopy Primer
License Info
Image Use
Custom Photos
Partners
Site Info
Contact Us
Publications
Home

Visit Science,
Optics, & You


The Galleries:

Photo Gallery
Silicon Zoo
Pharmaceuticals
Chip Shots
Phytochemicals
DNA Gallery
Microscapes
Vitamins
Amino Acids
Birthstones
Religion Collection
Pesticides
Beershots
Cocktail Collection
Screen Savers
Win Wallpaper
Mac Wallpaper
Movie Gallery

The Tamarack

The Tamarack (Larix laricina; also known as the Eastern Larch) is softwood tree found primarily in the northern states where it grows mainly east of the Rockies and in a few isolated groups of trees in Neckako Valley. The sapwood is very white in color and narrow, while the heartwood ranges from yellowish to russet brown with occasional red hues.


Cross Section


Radial Section


Tangential Section

Tamarack is a member of the Pinaceae pine family, and around 10 species of these deciduous trees have been cataloged. All larches are valuable timber trees and are widely grown as ornamentals for their attractive foliage and shape. The trees sport a cone-shaped head with horizontal branches and needle-shaped leaves that drop in the fall season. Larch pines require a substantial amount of sunlight, moist acidic soil, and plenty of room. The huge size of most larch trees renders them susceptible to a number of insect pests and diseases.

In the days of wooden sailing ships, tamarack roots were often used to join the ribs to the deck timbers. Tamarack wood is used for rough construction, posts, poles, ties, novelties, boxes, crates, pallets, and pulpwood.

Microscopic examination of iron-alum hematoxylin and safranin stained thin sections (see the digital images presented above) reveals an abrupt transition from spring to summer wood, with the spring wood occupying most of the ring. Tracheids average 28 to 35 micrometers in diameter and bordered pits occur in one to two rows on the radial walls. Longitudinal parenchyma is marginal and very sparse, or lacking. Like many softwoods, the rays are uniseriate (or rarely biseriate) and fusiform. Resin canals have thick-walled epithelium and occasionally with tylosoids in the heartwood.

BACK TO THE TREES COLLECTION

Questions or comments? Send us an email.
© 1995-2022 by Michael W. Davidson and The Florida State University. All Rights Reserved. No images, graphics, software, scripts, or applets may be reproduced or used in any manner without permission from the copyright holders. Use of this website means you agree to all of the Legal Terms and Conditions set forth by the owners.
This website is maintained by our
Graphics & Web Programming Team
in collaboration with Optical Microscopy at the
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.
Last modification: Friday, Nov 13, 2015 at 02:19 PM
Access Count Since February 1, 1999: 26621
Microscopes provided exclusively by: