Part 179 - 6–7 August: Maruthang and Chichukang travel and plant collecting

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SUMMARY:
Travel from Maruthang (Reinchen Chu) to Chichukang (Tang Chu) amid heavy rain, with notable plant collecting including a new gentian, Delphinium muscosum, and primulas from Thita Tso. Tendup redirected a visitor to Rihang, and Tsongpen was sent to Thita Tso and later reported a herd of burhel near the primula site.

CONTENT:
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anyway that Tendup told the man not to come here, but sent him on to Rihang.

6th August. To Maruthang (Reinchen Chu). 10 miles. Just fine all morning (Saxifraga sp. nov. 3528). Very heavy rain from 12.0 on (Corda. bealhamii 3527). Tsongpen went on from here to the Thita Tso. Here found a pretty little gentian No. 3531 (Gent. melensis sp. nov. 3531), which did me down badly. It was fully open and very pretty when I first saw it, so I ran in for my camera, but the rain started as I opened the camera, and it shut up in about 20 seconds.

7th August. To Chichukang (Tang Chu). 7 miles (12,200 ft). A foul day of rain, with a fine interval in the evening. Tsongpen for the primula I sent him for at the Thita Tso, taken before as 3438 (P. uniflora 3438, 3536). It is a perfect beauty, with huge flowers for its size, and should come in with P. Menziesiana. But I will be very disappointed if it is not a new one (3536). No gentians found, but several other interesting things, besides a good Delphinium (3537) (Delphinium muscosum 3537 sp. nov. Lyon), some seed of the big yellow saxifrage 3210 (Saxifraga sp. 3210). We also got roots of the three good petiolaris primulas 3366, 3367, 33843 (Roots: Barnardi alba, Chamaethauma, strumosa). Tsongpen saw a herd of 40 burhel up near the blue pet. primula place. There is a great deal of P. umbratilis not far from camp beside the waterfall just above camp, 12,500 ft higher, on the talus slopes.