46 A MANUAL OF THE CONIFERS. 



On the Himalayas, the Coniferous zone occurs at a higher eleva- 

 tion than on the mountain ranges in higher latitudes; the altitude 

 of the zone gradually increase in advancing from Afghanistan to 

 Bhotan. In the north-west, the great Deodar forests cover exten- 

 sive tracts at from 5,000 to 10,000 feet of elevation ; these are 

 succeeded eastwards by Pines and Firs at from 6,000 to 11,000 feet, 

 and further east the Larch occurs with Pines and Firs at from 

 7,500 to 13,000 feet of elevation.* Below these altitudes, and 

 intermixed with the trees and shrubs of other orders, the Cypress, 

 Juniper, and Yew, are also represented by one or more species. 



Referring to the distribution of Himalayan Conifers, Sir J. D. Hooker 

 remarks t that the Deodar has not been seen east of JSTepaul, nor 

 Pinus Gerardiana, nor Gupressus torulosa. On the other hand, 

 Abies Brunoniana does not occur west of the Gogra, nor Larix Grif- 

 fithiana west of Cosi. Of the twelve Sikkim or Bhotan Conifers, \ 

 nine are common to the north west Himalayas and three not, and of 

 the thirteen natives of the north-west Provinces, five are not found in 

 Sikkim. 



In the Chino-Japanese region the presence of a dense population 

 has driven back the aboriginal Flora to the highlands. In China 

 the limits of the distribution of the native plants are not known, 

 but Conifers are met with in every part o*i the country that has 

 been visited by Europeans, and the number of native species is 

 considerable, including some of peculiar interest and aspect. % 



In Japan the Coniferse are still more numerous. All the tribes 

 included in the Order are represented by several species. Jesso, 

 the northern island, is almost entirely covered with forest composed 

 chiefly of Firs and Pines, and so dense that it is impossible to 

 get from one part of the island to another except by going round 

 the coast. A remarkable feature in the Coniferae of the Chino- 

 Japanese region, is the existence of several genera allied to the 

 gigantic Sequoias of California, and at the present time represented 

 by a single species only, but which at a former epoch were 



* These numbers must be taken as general e'xpressions of the heights, 

 t Himalayan Journals, vol. i. p. 256. 



tyuniperus recurva, J. religiosa, J. excelsa, Abies Brunoniana, A. Webbiana, A. 

 Smithiana, Pinus excelsa, P. longifolia, Larix Griffithiana, Cupressus torulosa, Podo- 

 carpits neriifolia, Taxus Wallichiana. 



'§ Especially Ginkgo biloba, Cunninghamia sinensis, Glyptostrobus heierophyllus, Oupressus 

 funebris, Pinus Bungeana, Abies Fortunei. ' * 



