Showing 4 results

SUMMARY:
The diarist reflects on gentians, noting color variation of G. amoena between dry and wet zones, and describes the variable weather around Tso Bunang. At Tso Bunang Lake Camp, they halted as Danong and Tenduk returned from the Tahar La trip with supplies, including gentians from the pass such as Swertia handelii and G. nankeenis.

CONTENT:
Przewalskii 2015 2033
nankeenis 2054 - Swertia 624
otophoroides 2073 147
Otophara 2092
algida 2098
2063 orange-white

Gentians
Last night I was thinking of the gentians we had seen, and where we had seen them, and it certainly appears that all the creamy ones come from the dry zone, or at any rate the transition zone. Wilkie describes G. amoena as light colored, but sometimes blue all over. As far as I have seen, it is common up here, it is always white or cream in the dry zone, or N. of the main range. We collected it twice S. of the range, in the wet zone, once at the Ma-ha once at Sanden, in each case it was a beautiful rich blue.

Tso Bunang is a curious place. All yesterday the S. lake was in shadow, the E. side was in rain, our camp half in sun with a little rain, and the hill to the N. at the end of the lakes in sun all day.

Tso Bunang Lake Camp
17th August. Halt. Found nothing here. Danong and Tenduk came back from the Tahar La trip. They brought some food stuff.

Among the best were three gentians from the top of the pass.
Swertia handelii G. nankeenis
20

SUMMARY:
Notes record Ludlow going to camp at the foot of Kachan La, to Shao, and to Tawang (p 202–3), with brief plant annotations including Gentiana ornata (seed), Gen. gilvostriata, a rosy white form of Meconopsis, and G. amoena.

CONTENT:
Ludlow to Camp at foot
of Kachan La

Ludlow to Shao
? Gentiana ornata - seed

p 202-3 Ludlow to Tawang
Gen. gilvostriata
rosy white form of Meconopsis
G. amoena

SUMMARY:
Diary entries record fine weather, observations of flowering Gentiana and seed collecting of Primula species around Kyimpu Halt and Le La. On 4 October the author moves to a camp north of Drichung La, parts from Ludlow and Lumsden, and continues with Ahmad Sheikh, Tsongpen, and Pimbo toward Trim while continuing seed collections.

CONTENT:
Scrophularia & Codonopsis vinciflora. Androsace not yet ripe, & G. waltonii is in full flower.

2nd October. Kyimpu Halt. A fine day with sun all day. The Drichung La has a lot of snow, but it should soon go with this sun. Went up to the Le La, & saw G. amoena in full flower. Got a fine haul of seeds of P. nivalis (macrophylla?) & a similar higher altitude one. Most are barely ripe yet, as P. cawdoriana, P. rotundifolia. A little Mec. bella found.

3rd October. Kyimpu Halt. A perfect day, even the hills being clear of cloud almost all day. Stayed in camp & dried & packed seeds.

4th October. Camp N of Drichung La. 15000'(?) 7 miles. Fine, but cloudy except from 8.0 am till 1.30 pm. Quite a good day for seeds again, but P. cawdoriana is not yet ripe. Left Ludlow & Lumsden behind, will next see them in India, at Dirang Dzong about the end of November. Ahmad Sheikh & Tsongpen accompany me, & Pimbo as far as Trim to make the bandobast. Seeds of P. nivalis sp very common & ripe 2719. They are the same as the Le La seeds 1561(2). Also a Primula like P. atrodentata, but I think perhaps different 2722. Snow lies about 500 ft above camp, & thence to the top. I handed over my gun

SUMMARY:
Describes a frosty halt day, continued collection of Gentiana (lacunulata), and praise for the seed collector Tupden. Notes comparisons of the Dhu Chu area with the Bumthang Chu, reports a letter from HH about upcoming arrivals (Hicks, MK, Tasho Drunyer), tallies seed and plant collections, and mentions confirmations by Ludlow and Taylor regarding Mec. Sherriffii.

CONTENT:
with Mec. paniculata, simplicifolia & horridula, all of which are in cultivation at home. Tupden is one of the best seed collectors there could be. He takes great pains & always goes on till called away. I wished to have had him from the beginning. Now I know him, I find him very good indeed. He is a Khampa, probably a runaway murderer or something like that, from Markham. The area of the Dhu Chu is something like shown opposite.

4th October Halt. Another lovely day, & very cold hard frost last night. The tents each night now are covered with frost inside & out, & this makes them very heavy. Nothing special happened today. I went out to look for more of yesterday's Gentiana (lacunulata) 19789, & after a while we found a lot of it. It reminds me of G. amplicrata which we first found at Zimsati near Sangacholing in Takpo. I don't think it is G. depressa, & certainly isn't G. amoena. The more I see of this area, the better it looks. It holds much more than the Bumthang Chu valley, although this is a tributary of the Bumthang Chu. It must be more than just not so many yaks here, although there is no doubt that many yaks, & sheep too, in a valley, make a very great difference to the flora. A letter came in from HH to say Tasho Drunyer will arrive on 6th. So with Hicks on 5th, MK on 6th & us on 7th, there will be some activity in Bumthang this week. The main seed collection is now over, & I have about 130 gatherings of seed now, besides the 40-50 taken before & some 25 rooted plants & a number of bulbs & tubers & corms & so on. Ludlow tells me he has 5 lbs. of seed of Mec. Sherriffii! That shows how common it is when it does occur. Taylor has confirmed that it is Mec. Sherriffii, but a very fine form of it.