306 CONIFERJE. [Pinus. 



Prodromus (Submenus I. Pinus) containing 66 species, and according to Gordon's 

 * Pinetuin ' 92 species. The European species are, many of them, very important : 



P. sylvestris, Linn, is the Scotch Fir, which gives the timber known as Red Memel, 

 Dantzic' Fir and Red Deal of the Baltic. P. Pinaster, Soland. (P. maritima, 

 Lamk.) is the Maritime or Cluster Pine so largely used in reclothing sandy wastes on 

 the sea-shore, like the * Landes ' of Gascony, and for the production of resin. 

 P. haJepensis, Mill., is the Aleppo Pine found throughout the Mediterranean region, 

 chiefly on limestone. P. Laricio, Poiret, gives two varieties, called respectively the 

 Corsican Pine and Austrian Pine, which are also used for the production of resin and 

 for replanting barren soils. P. Pinea, Linn, is the Stone Pine of Italy, with edible 

 fruits, and P. Cembra, Linn., the ' Arolle ' of the mountains of Central Europe. 



Ot the American Pines the most important is the P. Strobus, Linn , the White Pine 

 or Weymouth Pine, whose wood is extensively used in America and is exported to 

 Europe from the forests of Canada. 



The species indigenous in India may thus be recognized by the characters of their 

 leaves and cones : 



Leaves in pairs P. Merkusii. 



in threes 



Scales of cone beaked. 



Leaves long P. longifolia. 



short ...... P. Gerar diana. 



Scales of cone obtuse P. Kasya. 



Leaves in fives ........ P. excelsa. 



Wood generally very resinous, not homogeneous, consisting of alter- 

 nate layers of soffc and often spongy spring wood, and of hard and darker 

 coloured autumn wood. Vertical resinous ducts large and numerous, 

 in most species visible on horizontal and vertical sections. The Indian 

 species have a distinct heartwood. 



1. P. longifolia, Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 651 ; Brandis 506 ; Gamble SI 

 Vern. Nakhtar, Af'g. ; Chil, cMr, drab c/iir, Pb. ; Gtila, thansa, Kangra ; 

 Anander, Jhelam ; Saral, Jaunsar; (Jiir, salla, sapin, /foloti, kolan, 

 kolain, Garhwal and Kumaun ; Dhup, Oudh ; Dhup, sala dhup, sula, 

 Nep. ; Gniet, Lepcha ; Teadong, Bhutia. 



A large tree. Bark 1 to 2 inches thick, reddish brown, inner substance 

 dark red, cut by deep fissures into large plates of irregular shape. 

 The bark of the Sikkim tree is thinner and the plates smaller. 

 Heartwood small, soft, reddish. Annual rings well marked, consisting 

 of ail inner belt of soft and spongy tissue, and an outer hard, compact 

 and darker coloured belt, the inner soft belt generally occupying half to 

 two-thirds or more of the ring. Medullary rays fine and extremely 

 line, numerous, prominent as narrow lines on a radial section. Vertical 

 resinous ducts large and numerous, irregularly distributed, prominent on 

 a vertical section. 



Afghanistan, Outer North- West Himalaya ascending to 7,500 feet, Sikkim and 

 Ijhutan ascending to 4,000 feet, though scarce above 3,OUO feet. 



r. h.iHj-ijul.'nt, generally shows a moderate or slow rate of growth as i'av as our 

 rxpi-ri.-mv goes. Its growth, other circumstances being eipial, is most rapid in the 

 North-West llimalava at cleval ions hetweeii l.OOO and 7,<>00 feet, less rapid at lower 

 :in<l higher elevations. On this Mihject, however, as well as on the rate of growth of 

 r luiKjijulnt generally, systematic observations are much wanted. 



Tin- rates of growth shown by our small specimens are. per inch of radius 



nn-s. 



II. ]:$ . . . .11 

 II. '.:{ .... 

 n. <;<>-! 



. 1^ I "2Q years old.) 



rings. 



E. 701 (large round, 2 ft. diameter) 117 

 K. 21H5 ..... 28 



E. 'JIM (planted tree about ) , - 



