Part 53 - 13 March: Sanden to Nyakhsung La travel and primula observations

1 page

SUMMARY:
The diarist reads Cooper's article and concludes specimen 1166 is a Primula petiolaris, collects three young buds to send via air mail from Trashigong, and notes widespread smoke from jhumming across Bhutan. On 13 March they travel from Sanden to the Nyakhsung La, encountering snow, taking bearings, and searching for seeds, with primulas flowering at around 14,000 ft.

CONTENT:
did not see them. Reading Cooper's article in the New Flora and Silva, it appears that 1166 is a petiolaris primula. I have taken three young buds, if they reach Trashigong alright, I will send them off by air mail. The wind this evening has died down completely, and the smoke from 'jhumming' has come up over the hills everywhere, so that one can only see a couple of miles. This morning I noticed the pall of smoke all over Bhutan, it must have risen to a height of over 16,000 ft, out of which the bigger snow peaks were dimly seen.

13th March. Sanden. 10 miles. 9,800'. I left at 6:00 am and took two hours to reach the Nyakhsung La. There was a lot of snow on the path, which leads up a nala to the north east just beyond Mera, then turns more north and along a north face. The first two miles are fairly steep, the next two easy and more level. A round of bearings from the pass did not help to put Mera on the map much. On the pass around about, I spent two or three hours, looking for seeds of flowers. The primula is interesting. It was in flower at 14,000 ft., and it continued

[Marginal notes: Nyakhsung La; Primula denticulata 1176; Primula capitata 1177; Primula gracilipes 1178]