Juniperus.] LXXVI. CONIFERS. 537 



talu, phulu, Pb. ; Bettir, bheddra, bendhdra, bidelgunj, thelu, phulu, 

 jhora, guggal, bil, uric, agdni, N.W.P. ; Pdma, Tibet; Deschu, Sikkim. 



A gregarious shrub or moderate -sized tree; branchlets decurved or 

 drooping. Leaves adpressed, J in. long, in whorls of 3, generally approxi- 

 mate and imbricate, distant on older branchlets, lanceolate, pungent, back 

 convex. Catkins and berries at the ends of short lateral leaf- bearing 

 branchlets. Berries oblong or ovoid-oblong, pointed, J-^ in. long, with 

 the tips of carpellary scales near the apex, green at first, olive or blue 

 afterwards, dark-brown or almost blackish-purple, smooth shining when 

 ripe. Seed 1, oblong, obtuse. /. squamata is a procumbent variety with 

 broader, curved leaves. 



South side of Safedkoh near Pewar Pass 8000-9000 ft. Himalaya 7500 to 

 12,000 ft., ascending to 13,000, and on the Niti Pass to 15,000 ft. In Sikkim 

 and Bhutan at 9000-12,000 ft. Occasionally planted near temples, e.g., at Panwi 

 in Kunawar. Fl. chiefly in June, July ; the fruit ripening July to October of 

 the second year. In Sikkim and Bhutan attains 30 ft. with a pyramidal crown, 

 and drooping branchlets. In the North-West Himalaya it is only known as 

 a gregarious shrub, often covering large areas, either pure or mixed with J. com- 

 munis, the stems decumbent, at times 6 in. diam., very long, running over or 

 under the surface of the ground, and from these creeping stems rise numerous 

 short erect branches, which make it very difficult to traverse such thickets. 

 Bark smooth, cinnamon-coloured, generally peeling off in conspicuous flakes 

 which curl up. Heartwood reddish-brown, fragrant, useful as fuel at high ele- 

 vations. The sprigs are used in the distillation of spirits ; coarse barley-flour 

 is made into balls, covered with the sprigs and leaves, wrapped up in blankets 

 and kept warm for 3-4 days until it ferments, when it is used in the distillation 

 of arrack from rice. The shrub is sacred, and the resinous twigs are used for 

 incense {dhup, gugal). 



3. J. Wallichiana, Hf. & Th. in Herb. Kew. Black Juniper of Sik- 

 kim, Hook. Him. Journ. ii. 55. Vern. TchoJcpo, Sikkim. 



In the north-west a large gregarious shrub, in Sikkim a large tree, with 

 densely massed bushy branchlets. Leaves dimorphous, the scale -like 

 leaves oblong, back almost keeled, obtuse, in 4 rows, so as to make the 

 branchlets 4-sided, apex not quite adpressed, those on the lower branch- 

 lets linear, pungent, and somewhat spreading. Male catkins terminal. 

 Berries numerous, erect, on lateral leaf-bearing branchlets of variable 

 length, ovoid, acute, J- J in. long, blue, shining when ripe, 1 -seeded. 



Himalaya 9000 to 15,000 ft. from the Indus to Sikkim. PL April, May ; fr. 

 Aug. Bark brown, smooth, exfoliating in large flakes. This is the large tree 

 Juniper of the inner ranges of Sikkim, attaining 60 ft., with spreading branches. 

 The wood of the Sikkim tree resembles J. excelsa in structure. 



J. Pseudo-Sabina, Fisch. et Meyer ; Ledeb. Fl. Ross. iii. 682, a shrub of 

 Siberia, mountains of Davuria and Songaria, is identified with this species by 

 Parlatore in DC. Prodr. xvi. 482 ; but the fruit, which is 1-seeded like that of 

 J. Wallichiana, is described as recurved, not erect. The classification of the 

 Junipers of Asia seems to require critical revision. 



