Part 134 - Haat, 9–10 September: field notes and route planning

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SUMMARY:
At Haat, the author stayed near camp while Tundru and Pasang collected flowers, noting scarce seed and planning routes toward Waitang, Marlung, Chu doen, Sin La, Dhen, and an arrival at Bumthang, with shifting weather. The next day they made a long excursion from Haat; Tundru collected Allardia glabra near Tolepong Tso, and they found P. umbellata and a wine-purple Gentiana on screes, though seeds were mostly unripe.

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9th Sept. Haat. I stayed near camp today, Tundru and Pasang went off to the N.E. They got some flowers, but seed again were difficult. Seed of P. sphaerostachyum was all eaten by bugs. Also a very fine Polygonum (Polygonum griffithii 19715) had no seed - I got 14 seed out of at least 1000 flowers! I spent some time in making out dates from here to Waitang, Marlung and across to the Chu doen and the Sin La to Dhen. Our real movement will start on the 19th and we will have a very full Oct 7th when we reach Bumthang. Today was the same as the last three days - a lovely morning, and heavy rain in the afternoon. But it does not look like the monsoon rain. No doubt we'll get lots more rain, but I don't think it will be the same as before.

10th Sept. Haat. Fine all day except for a short shower at midday. This was a good day on the whole, though few seeds were got. We left at 5.30 and returned at 5.0pm. At the first drogpa above the forest there is masses of the fine Aconite found yesterday, and we should get roots of it if not seed. The two best flowers found were both high altitude ones, from about 15000' or above. Tundru got a very nice wine coloured Allardia (Allardia glabra 19716) from the left hand valley after turning R. at Tolepong Tso. I did not see this myself anywhere. We went up the right hand valley, as before, and on the same scree found a good many Sax's of course P. umbellata. This is the almost white one. Seed was not ripe, though it should be by 1 Oct. want to go again. This scree is at the right hand end of the big cliff facing one, as one leaves the Tolepong Tso. Away behind this in a cup to the right there are some more screes, and in one of them we found a fine Gentian (Gentiana amoena 19721). This is G. amoena or near it, but grows only in sand scree, which amoena doesn't. Also it is not blue, but a deep wine or wine purple, rather a nice, or more unusual