228 PINUS, OR 



species, on account of its beautifal purple or violet colour. In 

 Kooloo, and on the Chumbra range, it is styled " Toss," and 

 forms extensive forests, -where, notwithstanding the whiteness 

 of the under surface of its leaves, the general effect of the 

 Himalayan Silver Fir is exceeding dark and gloomy— more 

 even than the Indian Cypress (Cupressus torulosa), which from 

 a distance it a good deal resembles; but still the thorough- 

 going black Pindrow Fir, with its tall columnar outline and 

 boughs, much less bushy or pendulous, and its longer leaves, 

 must be pronounced the handsomest tree of the two. 



Timber white, very soft, and coarse-grained, but full of clear 

 white resin ; and a beautiful dye, of a lovely violet colour, is 

 extracted from the young cones. 



It is hardy, but suffers from the late spring frosts. 



Gen. PINUS. Linnceus. Tlie True Pines. 



Flowers, monoecious, or male and female on the same plant, 

 but separate ; the male catkins laterally placed in dense masses 

 around the shoots in a kind of spike ; the female ones solitary, 

 or in whorls, and terminal. 



Cones, more or less conical, and woody. 



Scales, numerous, persistent, more or less elevated, pyramidal, 

 swollen, and imbricated. 



Seeds, oval, with a hard bony shell, and either furnished with 

 ample wingSj or wingless. 



Seed-leaves, numerous. 



Leaves, in sheaths of two, three, or five in number, somewhat 

 cylindrical, or concave on one side and convex on the other, 

 persistent, and pointed. 



The name Pinus is by some writers derived from the Greek 

 word " pion " (fat), in allusion to its resin or tar ; the Sanscrit 

 word " Peena " having exactly the same meaning ; while others 

 derive its origin from our own June, or the Latin finis, as weU 



