108 JUNIPERUS ; OR 



and gradually dwarfing into an Alpine creeping shrub, at 

 12,000 or 13,000 feet, but ascending in this form to 13,500 

 feet on the south flank of Kunchinjinga, and to 15,200 feet 

 on the rearward ranges. Young plants have spreading, 

 subulate leaves, as have often the terminal branchlets. It 

 forms a large densely-branched stiif tree, growing from sixty 

 to eighty feet high, in eastern Nepal. Major Madden saw 

 a tree at the Songnum Temple, thirteen feet in circumfer- 

 ence, at five feet from the ground, and about 100 feet high. 

 Captain Strachey found it at ' Hunu' 12,000 feet above the 

 sea ; but it is found in many parts, particularly in Kunawur ; 

 on Gosainthan in Nepal ; in Kamaoon, near Nantee ; and 

 appears to flourish best at elevations of from 9,000 to 13,000 

 feet, but never below 7,000 feet in a native state. 



Dr. Griffith found it in Bootan about Temples, and in woods 

 from 9,000 to 11,000 feet of elevation. In ' Kooloo,' at an 

 elevation of 11,000 feet, it is preferred for its timber, and its 

 sprigs are burnt for incense. It is commonly planted by Budd- 

 hist temples, where it is used in all sacred ceremonies, hence its 

 specific name, ' religiosa ;' the name commonly applied to this 

 tree (excelsa) by writers on Indian Conifers, having been pre- 

 viously applied to a Crimean plant, now common in English 

 collections. The natives of Durii, in Gilgit, on a particular 

 day, burn goats' fat and juniper branches upon the altar, and 

 dance, sing, and drink wine ; they also fry juniper branches and 

 berries in goats' grease, in small dishes for incense. Mr. 

 Winterbottom found it on all the elevated tracts of Astor and 

 Gilgit, even in the North East quarter of Cashmere, used for the 

 same purpose under the name of ' Lewi,' or ' Newr' (Juniper), 

 and ' Dhoop' (incense). It is also found in the North West of 

 Sikkim and Nepal Proper, where it is called ' Googgal Dhoop,' 

 and always burned in temples as incense, on festive days. It has 

 scaly bark, of a deep brown colour, and timber exactly similar 

 to that used in Cedar pencils, with a scent equally aromatic. 



No Indian Conifer seems to have been more confused or 

 mixed up in the cloudy regions of conjecture, than this species, 

 both by European and Indian writers. The Indian travellers 



