Pinus.] LXXVI. CONIFERiE. 511 



Mountains of Kafiristan north of Jellalabad (Griffith), Safedkoh (Griffith and 

 Bellew), near Rondu on theTndus below Iskardo. Himalaya between 6000 and 

 10,000 ft., from the Indus to Bhutan, extending considerably into the more arid 

 tract. Lahoul, Kunawar as far as Sungnam and Namgia. Niti Pass in Garh- 

 wal. Nepal, Bhutan. Wanting in central and north-west Kamaon (Madden), and 

 in Sikkim. The tree is occasionally found as low as 5000 and as high as 12,500 

 ft. P. Peuce, which has been identified with P. excelsa by Hooker (Journ. 

 Linn. Soc. viii. 145), was first discovered by Grisebach on Mount Pelister or 

 Peristeri near Bitolia in South Macedonia, near the borders of Albania, where it 

 forms a considerable extent of forest at the upper limit of arborescent vegetation, 

 above the range of the Beech, from 4400 to 5800 ft., descending to 3000 ft. (as a 

 shrub only), and in places ascending to 6100 ft., and has since been found far- 

 ther north on the Kom mountain in Montenegro. Between Macedonia and Af- 

 ghanistan, a distance of 2200 miles, no trace of the tree has yet been discovered. 

 P. excelsa is hardy in England, but seems inclined to seed rather early and too 

 freely ; its leading shoots are very luxuriant, but often bent and irregular. 

 These peculiarities are noticed near Simla, wherever the tree grows below its 

 normal line of elevation. Introduced 1823, the largest tree at Dropmore is 70 

 ft. high. 



P. excelsa is gregarious, but does not often form pure forests of large extent. 

 It generally is mixed with the Deodar, Abies Webbiana, and Smithia?ia, and is 

 often found at the edges of mixed forests of leaf-bearing trees. At higher levels 

 it grows among the Alpine Birch {B. Bhojpattra), and at lower levels it is not 

 rarely found associated with Pinus longifolia near the upper limit of that tree. 

 In Kunawar it forms forests of considerable extent above and below the Deodar 

 belt, and is mixed with it. In the Baspa valley Deodar ceases at an elevation 

 of about 9500 ft., but P. excelsa extends considerably higher, both at the bottom 

 and on the sides of the valley. In the forests on the left bank of the Sutlej 

 above the mouth of the Baspa, it often forms the main portion of the forest 

 between the Deodar and the Alpine Birch. 



It flowers from the end of April to the middle of June ; in October the young 

 cones are 1 in. long, and pea-green, in April they attain 3-4 in., and they ripen 

 in the autumn of the second year. The seedless cones are persistent for a long 

 time, hanging on the branches with their broad gaping scales. The leaves remain 

 3-4 years before they are shed. Attains 100-120, and sometimes 150 ft. in height. 

 In isolated trees the branches are low, nearly to the ground ; they are whorled, 

 horizontal, the ends turned up, except when laden with fruit. Branches smooth, 

 dark-grey, sometimes purplish-brown. Bark dark-coloured, cut into drab-grey 

 rough scales, by parallel vertical fissures and cross-cracks ; in old trees the scales 

 are broad, irregularly polygonal, with whitish or silver-grey surface, divided by 

 dark-coloured rough furrows. 



Sapwood whitish, heartwood light-brown, often with reddish lines and 

 resinous knots, compact, even - grained, soft and easy to work. As regards 

 durability, it ranks next to Deodar, of the north-west Himalayan Conifers, and is 

 preferred to Abies and to Pinus longifolia. In the Panjab Himalaya, it is said 

 to last 7-8 years as shingles, 8-10 years as beams in walls, and 15 years as ordi- 

 nary inside planking. Where Deodar cannot easily be obtained, it is largely used 

 for house-building, shingles, water-channels, water-troughs, wooden spades, and 

 other implements. It is said to be the best wood available in the Panjab 

 for pattern-making, as it works extremely well and can be got without much 

 resin. It yields an excellent charcoal for iron-smelting. A variety of the wood, 

 valued less than the normal kind, is called da?* chil at the Ravi and Chenab timber 

 depots. The term is not used in the forests. The wood grown on south aspects 

 is said to be heavier and to contain more turpentine. Turpentine, resin, and 

 tar might be readily obtained from this tree ; it probably is nearly as resinous as 



