A genus, Larix, of the pine family, with deciduous needles and short spurlike branches, which annually bear a crown of needles. The cones are small and persistent, varying by species in size, number, and form of the cone scales. The tamarack (L. laricina), also called hackmatack, is a native species, has erect, narrowly pyramidal habit, and grows in wet and moist soils in the northeastern United States, west to the Lake states, and across Canada to Alaska. The cones are ½–frac34 in. (12–19 mm) long (see illus.). The tough resinous wood is durable in contact with the soil and is used for railroad ties, posts, sills, and boats. Other uses include the manufacture of excelsior, cabinet work, interior finish, and utility poles.