Cedrus.] LXXVT. CONIFERiE. 517 



sometimes Muish green in young trees. Leaves 1-1 J in. long, rigid,_ sharp, 

 triquetrous, the leaves of 3-5 years on the branches. Cones erect, 4-5 in. 

 long and 3-4 in. diam., ovoid or ovoid-cylindrical, ohtuse, scales closely 

 imbricate, broadly cuneate, 2-2^ in. broad and 1-1^ in. long, the upper 

 edge rounded. Seeds ^ in. long, wings large, triangular, with rounded sides. 



The Deodar, so far as known at present, has a limited range of distribution. 

 It is indigenous on the mountains of Afghanistan and North Baluchistan, and 

 in the North-West Himalaya, where its eastern bmit is below the Niti Pass on 

 the Dauli river, one of the main feeders of the ' Alaknanda. No indigenous 

 forests of it are known east of 80° or west of 66° long. On the Safedkoh 

 it grows between 6000 and 10,000 ft., and in the Himalaya generally between 

 4000 and_10,000 ft., but descends in places to 3500 and ascends to 12,000 ft. 

 The tree is commonly planted in Kamaon near villages and in temple-groves, 

 and here and there in Nepal. It is gregarious and forms extensive foi-ests 

 in the basin of the main tributaries of the Indus, on the Tonse, Jumna, 

 and Bhagirati rivers, and on two feeders of the Alaknanda. In these 

 forests the Deodar alone covers large areas, or is associated with Firms ex- 

 celsa and Ahies Smithiana, less commonly with Abies Webbiana, and the three 

 Oaks, Quercus incana, dilatata, and semecarpifolia. The Gypress, Birch, Taocus, 

 and in Kunawar and Pangi Pinus Gerardiana, are also companions of the 

 Deodar. It extends to the limits of the arid zone, but does not enter it as Vinus 

 excelsa. On the Chenab it ceases at Galiug above Triloknath, and in the Sutlej 

 valley the upper limit is the Hangarang Pass on the right and Dabling on the 

 left side, and on the Baspa it ceases below Rakcham. In these valleys and 

 on the Indus P. excelsa grows much higher up. It is wanting in Lahoul. The 

 Deodar was introduced into England in 1822, and is hardy in England and Scot- 

 land, also in South Europe, France, and South-West Germany. On the Rhine 

 at Coblenz, Bonn, and Cologne it suffers from late spring frosts. On the other 

 hand, at Tharant in Saxony, where the winter is more severe, the Deodar seems 

 to do well. In the Himalaya it is found on gneiss, granite, and silicious shales, 

 and is not wanting on limestone (Jaunsar, Ohenab). 



The male catkins appear in September, and shed their yellow poUen in Octo- 

 ber, which is blown about in abundant profusion. In the ensuing spring the 

 young cones are about 1 in. long ; in October, twelve months after flowering they 

 have attained half size, and ripen in October or November of the second year, 

 thus requiring 24-26 months to come to maturity. The scales and seeds fall, and 

 in November andDecember the persistent scaleless axis of the cones is often seen 

 on the same tree with the half-formed cones of the preceding year and the 

 female catkins recently fertilised. The Deodar seeds freely and regularly, 

 but every third or fourth year the cones are apt to fail. In April a flush of 

 young leaves comes out at the ends of the tuft-like branchlets, of a light, often 

 bluish-green colour, forming a striking contrast with the older darker green 

 foliage of the previous years. Owing to the close proximity of the leaves of 

 successive years on the stunted brancHets, it is not easy to say how many years 

 they persist, 3-5 years seems to be the average. The foliage of young Deodars 

 grown in Europe is generally bluish green ; in the Himalaya this colour is 

 seen occasionally, but as a rule the foliage, save the youngest shoots of spring, 

 is green and rather dark. Young Deodar requires shelter and bears a good 

 ded of shade ; the terminal shoots, like the extremities of the branches, are soft 

 and drooping, nevertheless, they pierce with great vigoiir through thickets of 

 other trees, and it is not a rare occurrence to see the proportion of Deodar in 

 an Oak forest increase by self-sown seedlings, which come up under the shelter 

 of the Oak and make their way through its foliage. In compact forests the tree 



