168 P. D. DOGRA 



as judged from the condition of the ovular micropyles during pollination, 

 is of very short (4 days) duration. 



In Kanatal-Mussoorie hills (6,000 feet), pollination was observed on 

 April 15, but on the same date in the same region, the moist upper level 

 pine growing on Surkunda peak (9,000 feet) showed immature male cones 

 with unshed pollen. 



MOIST UPPER-LEVEL MONSOON ZONE BLUE PINE 



The trees grow in open and dense pure crop or in mixed forests 

 mostly with Cedrus deodara but also with Abies _, ~Picea y Taxus, Cupressus, 

 Tsuga, Junipevus, Quercus, Rhododendron, Vopulus, and other broad-leaved 

 species. These blue pine trees show the best growth of the four 

 altitudinal types (Figs. 2 and 4). 



Habitat and Soil 



The trees grow on a large variety of rocks and soils, mostly 

 quartzites, schists, granites, alluvial and scree deposits, and limestone. 

 Blue pine seedlings thrive on scree masses formed during monsoons from 

 landslips mostly of mica schists with seams of phyllite, quartzite, or 

 granite. The old screes, therefore, have excellent trees growing on them. 



Blue pine does best on well -drained , moist, and deep soil, even with 

 limestone. In very wet sites, blue pine grows only on steep slopes where 

 gravel, rocks, and boulders are intermixed with the soil. 



In the moist zone of Kumaon , blue pine is present only on limestone, 

 but on exposed slopes with shallow soils especially of limestone, trees 

 remain stunted. 



Pure, even-aged crops of blue pine grow in the lower and upper alti- 

 tudinal limits on open southern slopes of hills like Jakko (8,000 feet), 

 Mahasu ridge (8,000 to 9,000 feet) and Mashobra (7,000 to 8,000 feet) in 

 Simla hills. They also occur in patches on well-drained northern exposures 

 in dense forests of oak, spruce, and fir. In these, the blue pine occupies 

 only those parts of the forest floor which receive sufficient light through 

 openings in the dense forest canopy. 



Tree Growth and Description 



The trees in general are densely branched and show good heights and 

 girths (Jubbal and Jaunsar, Figs. 2, 3, and 4). They appear to be faster 

 growing than the low-level pines of the dry zone (compare Jubbal and 

 Pangi, Fig. 2). Troup (1921) estimated that blue pine in Tehri Garhwal 

 attains a 6-foot girth after 91 years of growth, giving a mean annual 

 girth increment of 0.79 inches. The trees are not long lived, however, 

 and the growth rate slows down at the age of about 180 years (Figs. 2, 

 4, and 5). The oldest tree reported by Champion is 275 years in age 

 (Champion and Trevor, 1938) . 



Good trees may measure on an average 130 to 180 feet in height and 

 6 to 12 feet in girth with a crown width of 30 to 35 feet. In the moist 

 zone in Kumaon, where the blue pine is rare, height generally does not 

 exceed 120 feet (Osmaston, 1922). 



