196 PINUS ; OR 



at first, and composed of dry, reddish-brown scales, but soon 

 rolling up and falling off. Branches, ascending, lower ones 

 spreading ; branchlets, short, rather slender and confused. 

 Cones, ovate, oblong, or somewhat cylindrical; widest at the 

 base, from six to eight inches long, and from twelve to four- 

 teen inches in circumference near the base, and of a bluish 

 colour. Scales, thick, blunt, much recurved and spiny at the 

 points. Seeds, nearly an inch long, cylindrical, almost wing- 

 less, pointed at both ends, of a dark brown colour, and agree- 

 able to eat. 



A tree growing fifty feet high, with a compact head, found 

 in great abundance, forming large forests on the Northern side 

 of the Snowy range of mountains in Kunawur, beyond the 

 influence of the periodical rains, where it grows in very dry 

 rocky ground ; and according to Major Madden, its manner of 

 growth differs from that of any of the other Pines of India. Its 

 trunk is of large girth, but scarcely exceeding fifty feet in 

 height, furnished with numerous horizontal branches, nearly to 

 the ground, the upper ones forming a large compact conical 

 head. It is also found to the North of Cashmere, and on the 

 Astor Mountains in Little Tibet. The mountains near Nijrow 

 in the Kohistan of Cabul, are also covered with the Chilghosa 

 Pine. Captain Gerard states its highest limits on the inner 

 Himalayas to be from 10,000 to 12,000 feet of elevation. The 

 exterior bark is of a silvery grey, falling off in large flakes, and 

 never transforms itself into the rough outer coating like the 

 other Pines. Is is called ' Rhee' or ' Eee' in Kunawur, 

 * Shungtee' by the Thibetans, and * Sonoubar Sukkar' (sweet 

 Pine nut) by the Persians and Arabs. The Neoza Pine also 

 affords abundance of fine turpentine, and the cones exude a 

 copious white resin, and produce about 100 seeds each, which are 

 sold in the Simla bazaars under the name of Neoza nuts, and in 

 those of Affghanistan as Chilghoza nuts. 



It is quite hardy, but very slow in growth. 



