18 SURG.-MAJ. J. E. T. AITCHISON ON THE FLORA OF 



Alikhel, and on the hills between Sikaram and Matunge up to 

 nearly 10,000 feet, the forest becomes much thinner, and is greatly- 

 altered in appearance, owing to the occurrence otPinus Gerard- 

 iana*. All the more open parts of the country when there 

 is forest is now covered chiefly with this pine, deodar, and 

 Juniperus excelsa ; the other trees — viz. Pinus excelsa, Abies 

 Webbiana, and Picea Smithiana — occurring rather in the in- 

 terior of the hills, or on the ridges which reach an altitude of 

 10,000 ft. Gerard's pine is distinguished at once by the peculiar 

 character of its trunk and branches, which much more resemble 

 those of a stout stunted beech than of a pine. The bark is of 

 light grey colour, which, on close inspection, presents a gene- 

 rally mottled appearance of various hues, produced by the irre- 

 gular manner in which the outer layers are shed. It is celebrated 

 for its edible nuts, largely used as food by the natives, and which 

 are an article of export from other parts of the country to India. 



Along the range which extends westward from Sikaram to Ma- 

 tunge I obtained a new species of Eremurus (a very fine plant 

 with large hollow leaves) and a Chorispora near tenella, DC. 



On two occasions I explored the Hazardarakht river as far as 

 Karatigah on the road towards Kabul ; and during my first visit 

 I ascended one of the peaks of Seratigah, the highest of which 

 has an altitude of 13,600 feet. The distance between Alikhel 

 and Karatigah is about twenty-five miles, the road leading 

 along the bed of the Hazardarakht stream. The valley of this 

 river nearly as far up as Eokian is open and well cultivated ; 

 beyond this, however, it suddenly becomes contracted, and any 

 little cultivation there may be occurs in the lateral valleys, and 

 not along the main stream. Beyond Drekalla cultivation ceases. 

 The altitudes of the above localities are : — Eokian, 7550 feet ; 

 Drekalla, 8000 feet ; Karatigah, 9400 feet. On this route the fol- 

 lowing plants were collected : — Near Alikhel, on the plateaux of 

 the river, Buta acutifolia, DC. ; near Eokian, Acer, probably 

 campestre, a medium-sized tree, but neither flower nor fruit 

 were seen : this is the only Acer I have obtained. As a tall 

 woody shrub overhanging the river, no. 852, Amygdalus sp-i 

 the fruit of which, in its colour and appearance, resembles 

 less the fruit of the almond than the peach. At Drekalla 

 in one locality there exists a scrub-jungle consisting of Juni- 

 perus excelsa, several Caraganw, Sophora, both forms of Coto- 

 neaster nummularia, Daphne, Amygdalus eburnea, Rosa Eca, 

 * Ten feet in girth by forty in height is an exceptional tree. 



