Showing 58 results

SUMMARY:
Observations include mass flowering of Primula whitei around 14,000 ft and a pale yellow Sikkimensis-type primula likely from hybridisation. On 10 June the party halted, marked several Primula populations, recorded Primula vernicosa as a notable westward occurrence, kept busy drying specimens, and planned to return to Phobjikha via the Pele La Range towards Chendebi while collecting a few Rhododendron variants.

CONTENT:
P. flagellaris 3231.
Lloydia serotina 3232 Cypripedium tibeticum 3233

It has up to 4 flowers on a scape of 3" on pedicels of 3/4". At about 14000 or a little over P. whitei was in flower in masses still, & the flowers were on the whole bigger than low altitude, early ones. Among a mass of P. Hopeana 3227, I saw a few plants of a Sikkimensis primula coloured pale yellow, tinged with pink 3228. This presumably is the result of hybridisation. We have so far seen no P. sikkimensis, nor of P. Waltoni.

10th June. Halt. - Rained most of the night, but fine & overcast nearly all today. I have marked with 12 stakes the new little petiolaris primula 3192, & today marked the var. of P. Griffithii 3205 & P. umbratilis 3213. We came across P. vernicosa today, No 3240.

As far as I know this has never been recorded from nearly so far west as this; in fact I don't think it is recorded as occurring outside SE Tibet. It is no beauty, but interesting. We all took it easy today after a climb to the top of the ridge. We got back by 11.30 & stayed in camp. Tsongpen has little rest though, as flowers will not dry in this humid atmosphere, & he has about 200 still being changed. A few variations in Rhododendron completed the bag. We now move on back to Phobjikha, but will go a new route over the Pele La Range towards Chendebi.

Rhod. fulgens 3239. R. campanulatum 3243, R. campan. var. aeruginosum 3244

SUMMARY:
Left Tsongpen in camp ill; the narrator and Tenduk searched nearby and found no new plants but noted a strong stand of No. 3301 for seed later. On 26 June they went to Wangchelahh via the Nabzi La, filmed blood pheasants with young, and received mail with a seed report from Chris and Elisabeth (except the pink meconopsis); on 27 June they returned to the base at Phobsinna amid mist and rain.

CONTENT:
of day, but no rain till late. Left Tsongpen in camp. He only has fever badly in the evenings. Tenduk and I went down, found nothing new, but a really fine mass of No. 3301 which will do for seed later on if I can send these people back here in September. We did not stay out long, as we are pretty convinced that there is nothing left here.

13500 26th June. To Wangchelahh. A fine morning, very windy. Came back over the Nabzi La. Blood pheasant here all now have their young hatched. We caught one, and for what I think should be some good cine photos of them. In this case there were 2 females and 1 male. A mail arrived en route. This seems to be our lucky place for mails, as it was here that one arrived before. No news of '36 flowers, but Chris and Elisabeth send a good report on seeds, with the marked exception of the pink meconopsis. The hills are particularly beautiful now, look like Scotland up here. They are covered with dwarf rhododendron, just the colour of heather (Rhod. setosum?) and also with Cassiope (Cassiope fastigiata var. densifolia 3372). There are now a lot of flowers out (Pedicularis ludlowii type 3373), but we know them all, and have them already collected.

27th June. To Phobsinna. 12 miles. Back again to the base, for the last time. Fine but misty till 1.0pm. Then rain all day. We seem to

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:
88

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.

SUMMARY:
At Bimbi La Camp, Tenduk brought in plants and a Tsongpen sent seed from Chuchar; subsequent halts record collecting seeds of Primula and Gentiana near a pass, with fine weather followed by rain. On the 9th, Lumsden, D and Tenduk accompanied the diarist toward Bimbi La and a talao, collected Androsace seed, and shot three partridges, while mail from Sanga Choling was delayed.

CONTENT:
Bimbi La 157

Cyananthus wardii 2557 sp. nov.
It, under No. 2557. Tenduk brought in a beautiful allardia
allardia glabra 2553
2553, a Tsongpen sent some seed from Chuchar.

Bimbi La Camp
8th Sept. Halt. Went with Danong below camp then up E to a
Gentian
pass about 15500 & collected seed of P. macrophylla & G. przewalskii
P. muscoides 2567 P. macrophylla 2560, 2561
It was fine again again, a perfect night, & only a small
thunder shower in the day. Lovely evening again. Took what
may be another gentian like the Chusam one, up the hill
Gent. trichotoma var. brevicaulis 2558, Gentian phyllocalyx seed 2559
a bit, much paler, not so tall, under No. 2558.

Bimbi La Camp
9th Sept. Halt. Lumsden, D, Tenduk & I went up towards the Bimbi
La, collected some androsace seed, then on to the talao, where
we found some partridges & shot three. Lumsden got one in flight
with No. 2 dust shot. Also saw a lot of G. ornata (?) &
higher up some fine specimens of G. stictantha & some seed
of P. glabra. Then we went on past a dying glacier, over the
ridge to the right & down an awful scree to where Lumsden
had shot kuling before. A lovely day: fine all day. Out
from 7.0 till 3.0pm.

Bimbi La Camp
10th Sept. Halt. Stayed in camp. Rain most of the day, though
P. sikkimensis pantlingii 2568
never very heavy. Still no sign of our mail, which the Sanga
Choling people must be delaying, damn them.

SUMMARY:
Notes problems with transport, dispatching Pintso and Tsongpen from Podzo Sumdo to Chinchas to begin a second Kongbo seed-collecting round, and leaving Migyitun for home. Short excursions around Bimbi La record collecting seeds of androsace, gentians, primulas, and widespread Cyananthus, including a halt at Bimbi La camp and work with Ludlow.

CONTENT:
Bimbi La

inducing them to turn up in time, or even at all. They have brought us up as far as our old camp, but will not go on any further. I hope they agree to stay the night & take us up in the morning. Pintso & Tsongpen left us at Podzo Sumdo & went on to Chinchas, where Pintso will send Tsongpen off on his second round of the Kongbo, to collect seed. I gave him 260 shao to see him through. I hope Pintso may also trace the mail, & send it up at once. We are now on our way home, having left Migyitun for the last time - without many regrets.

6th Sept. Fine, sunny most of the day. Went up toward Bimbi La, to the top of the rhododendron zone, to collect seeds of a lovely little androsace which was in flower here before, & got a good packet. It is not all ripe yet though. Found also a fine gentian - or Lomatogonium growing among masses of Cyananthus which covers the hillside. Only out for the morning.

Bimbi La camp

7th Sept. Halt. Fine. Went to Bimbi La with Ludlow. Saw Gentiana shetantha, & a fine blue one on the la which looks like G. ornata. Collected some seed of 1778, the nivalis primula found by Danang. The other, P. rotundifolia (orbicularis?) sp. was not ripe. The Cyananthus everywhere on the hillside looks a little different, so I collected

SUMMARY:
Heavy snow and wind hinder activities; seeds of Primula, Rhododendron, and Gentiana are collected while searches for kuling yield no birds, though Tsongpen shoots one Crossoptilon. The next day, despite ongoing snow, the diarist, Tsongpen, and two Trim men reach the Kashong La in deep snow and strong wind, arriving at 8:30.

CONTENT:
Meconopsis and Primula which are wanted from there. No sign here of kuling or any other game birds. I have seen a great number of wall creepers, which are probably on migration south.

13th October. Snowed and blew half a gale last night up till about 10pm, when it only snowed. Snowed in camp most of the day, but clear towards the Kashong La. I spent most of the morning trying to pick out seeds of Tendula Primula, 2359 (2735), and I suppose I must have collected about 150 seeds. In the afternoon went down the valley looking for kuling and came across their marks very recently made, but no kuling. Tsongpen shot one Crossoptilon. Got some seed of one Rhododendron which appear ripe, some more of Gentiana ornata.

14th October. Halt. More heavy snow again last night, in camp rain and snow all today. As it looked rather more promising, I took up two Trim men, and with Tsongpen went to the Kashong La. It took us, without a halt at all, just under 2 hours. The snow at the top is now about three feet deep, and going along the last rock ridge, with a very narrow ledge covered in deep snow was not too pleasant. Bright sun this side: clouds and snow the other, and a perfectly beastly wind coming over the pass. We reached there at 8.30. Tsongpen went on with one man down the

SUMMARY:
The diarist camps west of Tsanang La amid continuous heavy rain, blocked by an unfordable river despite promising ground nearby. On 17 July, with Tsongpen and the coolies, they fell a fir to make a bridge, contend with sick porters and poor arrangements by Kusho (threatened with being sent back to Gyantse), note route timings between passes, and record several plant collections.

CONTENT:
Tsanang La

believe, others may explain their indifference to his face. There is nothing to be seen up here so far, but we are only at 11,000 ft. There is a small open space here, with two huts in it, one for people to stop in and one in which there is a chorten, with prayer wheels all round it. There are a lot of rhododendrons on the way here, but all over of course. A perfectly filthy day—

16th July. Camp W of Tsanang La. 4 1/2 miles. Very heavy rain all night and day without stop. The fates are much against us. Here I can see we are near an excellent place, but I can't reach it. Just ahead of us lies the main range, with a glacier coming down towards us, and within a mile I could be on excellent ground. But there is a river to cross. The rain has made it quite unfordable, and I can't get round any other way, owing to cliffs. It really is most annoying, and I think very bad luck after at last having got so near a good place. There is a lot of snow on the hills to the E of us, although they can't be very high, as we are only 11,800'.

17th July. Camp W of Tsanang La. 1 1/2 miles. Fine, with a little sun for an hour in the morning, then clouded and rain rest of day with a few fine intervals. There was still a lot of water in the river, though it was fordable. But I was a little afraid for coming back, so in the early morning Tsongpen and I felled a fir tree, and with all coolies pulling, we managed to get it across the river as a bridge. Whether it will be washed away or not remains to be seen. Four coolies were sick and did not turn up, the remainder all very against going on. I have given Kusho a severe lecture and threatened to send him back to Gyantse from Tsola. Since he has been with me, not a single coolie bundobast has been really thoroughly made. The Tsanang La was 2 days from Paha, Tsanang to Kucha La 1 day, Kucha La to Paha 2, so I ordered rations accordingly. Now I find on the third day, it will take another day to reach the La. Coolies now say four days from La to La and 5 from Paha to Kucha La. It is impossible to do good collecting under arrangements like this. We had to cut our way through forest up here today. The path is very bad indeed. Of course a lot of the day was wasted, but Tsongpen and I were out till 4.0 pm, and got a few good things. Rhod 5844 (trichocladum) is common. Rhod aff charitope 5848 local, and R. campylogynum 5847 (R. calostrotum 3855) common very small. A very nice yellow Pedicularis 5858 (Ped. megalochila La) is pretty common—the first I have noticed as being fragrant. Cremanthodium thomsonii 5809. Cremanthod. palmatum v. rhodocephalum 5852.

SUMMARY:
At Chayul, the diarist notes poor weather and that Danang and Tendru have not yet arrived. The Dzongpen kindly arranges to send mail to Tsona, while Tsongpen is unwell for translation work. The following day is a fine halt day; mail is dispatched early, expected to reach Tsona by the 4th and Ludlow around the 10th, while the party still awaits Danang and company.

CONTENT:
31st October. Chayul. Rain during last night, & cloudy all day with a strong cold wind up the valley. Danang & Tendru have not arrived yet. The Dzongpen is very kind, & is arranging to send a mail on from here to Tsona. I don't know, he has his doubts, whether Tsona will send it on at once, but I hope so. We have not met today, as Tsongpen hardly feels up to the translation work with a Dzongpen. Mail leaves tomorrow morning.

1st November. Chayul. Halt. Stayed in camp, a very boring day. Danang & Co have not arrived, but I don't think they will be later than tomorrow, the arranged date. If they are, it means they must have been held up for transport. Today was a perfect day. It rained a little in the night, & there was snow very low down. For the first time yet, the wind blew down the valley, & this is the best sign of the end of the monsoon we have had. Not a cloud in the sky this evening. The mail went off this morning before 6.0, & the man will reach Tsona on the 4th midday. At that rate it should reach Ludlow about the 10th Nov.

SUMMARY:
At Chendebi, the diarist notes mostly fine weather, ripe buckwheat being cut, and a white Crawfurdia observed. The party splits: kit sent to Ritang, Pintso to Dungshinggang for taxation inquiries about Nepali sheep, and Tenduk collecting iris seeds near Punzor; plans are made to travel via the Rinchen Chu and Tang Chu. On 4 August, a halt at Chendebi is recorded; Primula seeds are unripe, a plant clump is taken to send by air mail, and Tsongpen goes to collect P. bracteosa roots.

CONTENT:
3rd August. Chendebi. 14 miles. Fine all morning: some rain in the evening.

This is the wettest month in Bhutan, but so far we have been very lucky. At Domkhar there was always rain, but only at night except on two days, when it rained from 11.0 am on, very hard. Since then we have only had afternoon or evening rain. The only interesting thing seen today was a white Crawfurdia 3504 (Tripleurospermum volubile 3504).

Here the buckwheat is ripe and is being cut. Fields of it on the hillside are rather pretty, the colour of bracken in autumn, only rather redder. From here we split up: My kit, except 10 loads, goes off to Ritang tomorrow: Pintso goes off to Dungshinggang in the Mangde Chu valley.

Tenduk is now down at Punzor, collecting, I hope seeds of an iris (Iris 3535), and will return tomorrow. Then he, Tsongpen and I go up the Rinchen Chu and back to Ritang by the Tang Chu, where Pintso will meet us. Pintso goes to find out about the Nepali sheep, how many there are and so on for taxation purposes.

4th August. Halt. Chendebi. Went to have a look at Primula 3052 (P. flagellaris 3052), but the seeds are not yet ripe, and will not be for a month. So I took a lump to carry along with us and send home by air mail. Kit has gone off to Ritang and Pintso to Dungshinggang. Tsongpen has gone to collect roots of P. bracteosa. (Aster sheriffianus approx 4000 3532)

SUMMARY:
Tsongpen's eyes have recovered as the party collects more yellow primula 2396, compares it with petiolaris and Sikkimensis, gathers Meconopsis bella, and secures a few seeds of Tendu's primula for cleaning next day. Persistent snow hinders plans to go beyond the Kashongha and makes crossing the Changha out of the question. The Trum gyimpu returned home but is expected back with coolies on the 15th evening.

CONTENT:
Tsongpen's eyes are now back to normal. We collected a lot more of the yellow primula 2396. Its capsules look very like those of a petiolaris, but I do not think that it can be that section. In flower it appeared to be a Sikkimensis. Beside it grow two others, both petiolaris, I think they are the Chunchar blue one, and the big flowered, small leaf purple one we found beyond the Kashongha. But the latter might be the little white petiolaris one from Chunchar. In the afternoon we went up the very steep gully towards the other pass, and got a fair collection of Mec. bella. But the best thing found was Tendu's primula - small leaves, and a big pinkish flower. It has thrown all its seed, but I found a few in mud and among the leaves, which will be a job to separate tomorrow. As we may not get over the pass, I am glad to have some of this one from this side. The Trum gyimpu returned home this morning, but will come again with the coolies on 15th evening.

If only this blasted snow would stop, we could get a good day beyond the Kashongha, and perhaps find seeds of P. bella and more of Tendu's one. It is out of the question to try to get over the Changha now, so I must do without seed of the