An evergreen shrub or small tree, sometimes up to 10 m tall. Stem straight, bark ash grey, young shoots tetragonal, hirsute, hairs spreading. Leaves lanceolate oblanceolate or very narrowly obovate or elliptic oblong, 1.5-6 cm long, 0.8-l.2 cm broad, attenuate at the base, obtuse or somewhat emarginate or apiculate at the apex, glabrous except the hirsute petiole and midrib on upper side, veins conspicuous. Racemes 6-8 mm long, rounded. Floral parts akin to those of last species. Capsule ovoid, walnut brown, 7- 10 mm long, 5-6 mm in diameter, horns diver-gent, c. 2-3 mm long.

Fl.Per.: March-May.

Syntypes: North Himalayas; Kumaon, Wallich 7978 (K); Strachey and Winterbottom; Jumna valley, Jacquemont 694 (P).

Distribution: 1-3000 m., in moist hills in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India (Punjab, U.P., Kumaon) Nepal and Bhutan.

The leaves have been reported to be fatal to cattle and other browsing animals except goats. They taste bitter due to the presence of alkaloids like buxines. The wood is uniformly light yellow to brownish yellow, smooth, hard, even tex¬tured, with silky lustre and without distinction between sap wood and heart wood. Boxwood is highly durable and is used for engravings, fine carving, turning and for manufacturing drawing, geometrical and musical instruments, snuff boxes and combs.