Cupressus 1 1 5 9 



We have not been able to distinguish, in England, var. majestica? Carriere, 



Conif. 118 (1855); but the following variety is noteworthy: 



Var. Corneyana, Carriere, Conif. 151 (1867). 



Cupressus Corneyana, Knight and Perry, Syn. Conif. 20 (1850). 



Cupressus funebris, Koch, 2 Dendrologie, ii. pt. 2, p. 160 (1873) (not Endlicher). 



Branches and branchlets pendulous. Branchlet systems irregularly arising at 

 varying angles, and not so distichous as in the type, forming a more diffuse and not 

 flattened mass of foliage. This variety was first put into commerce by Knight and 

 Perry, who stated that : " It is not certain whence it has been introduced, but it is 

 supposed to be a native of either Japan or the north of China," and acting on this 

 belief they named it after Mr. Corney, a merchant in China, who occasionally sent 

 seeds to their nursery at Chelsea ; but they never affirmed that it was raised from 

 Chinese or Japanese seed. Doubtless it originated in the Chelsea nursery, as it 

 differs in no respect, except in habit, from the type ; and C. torulosa is unknown in 

 China and Japan. 



Distribution 



This beautiful tree is a native of the outer ranges of the western Himalayas, 

 from Chamba to Nepal, between 5500 and 9000 ft. elevation. It is rather local in 

 its distribution, and usually grows on limestone. Brandis 3 mentions several locali- 

 ties small patches on the Ravi, parts of Kulu, limestone rocks of the Shali and 

 Tika hills, near Simla ; 4 limestone hills of Lokandi and Moila, and below the 

 Karamba peak in Jaunsar ; on the Chinar peak below Naini Tal, where it is found 

 exceptionally on clay slate, but near limestone. It also grows in the Bamsu valley 

 in Tehri-Garhwal, attaining a considerable size. Webber 5 says that it only grows 

 on sunny slopes over 7000 ft. altitude in isolated localities, and mentions trees on 

 the Chinar peak 150 ft. high with stems clean to near the top, the greatest girth 

 that he measured being 37 ft. Gamble speaks of a tree at the Deota temple in the 

 Tons valley, which is 154 ft. high and 22 ft. in girth. 



This species reproduces well from seed, and seedlings are often found in the 

 crevices of vertical precipices, as at Moila, producing trees which grow first outward 

 and then straight up the rock. It succeeds, when planted, at low elevations, even 

 in the plains of India, as at Calcutta, Dehra Dun, Saharanpur, and Chikalda in 

 Berar. Young plants are often attacked by a fungus, 6 Gymnosporangium Cunning- 

 hamianum, which occurs as a yellow gelatinous mass. (A. H.) 



Cultivation 



The first description of this tree was based by David Don, in 1825, on speci- 

 mens collected by Buchanan-Hamilton, in Nepal, in 1802-3; and seeds were first 



1 Cupressus majcstica, and also Cupressus flagelliformis. Knight and Perry, Syn. Conif. 20 (1850). A specimen of 

 C. majestica cultivated at Montpellier is identical with typical C. torulosa. 



2 Both Gordon, Pinet. Suppl. 24 (1862), and Koch, loc. (it., erroneously considered this variety to be the weeping 

 cypress of China. 3 Forest Flora N. W. India, 533 (1874). 



4 Collett, Fl. Simlensis, 483 (1902), says that it occurs at Simla, where it is known to the natives as deodar, on the road 

 to the pumping station, and beyond the tunnel. On the north side of Mount Shali it grows at 8000 to 9000 ft. 

 6 Forests of Upper India, 42 (1902). 

 B The alternate generation of this fungus occurs on the leaves of Pyrin Pashia. Cf. Indian Forester, xxv. 435. 



