Showing 13 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:
The diarist leaves the Tsangpo valley toward Nayü La, noting views of Gyala Tsutum and a local legend linking its summit to Samye via Yüsum. On 5th July at Nayü Chu, progress is delayed by lack of coolies despite assurances from Kusho and the gyimpon; on 6th July, after heavy rain, the party camps north of Nayü La and records notable plants including Lilium giganteum, a white water lily, and Smilacina.

CONTENT:
...were there, and had a talk with her. I only just caught a glimpse of her this morning.

The Nayü La is said to be only two days off, an easy pass which is only shut by snow in the Tibetan 10th month, which would be December. And we heard before that Lopas had come to Tsela in May. The gyimpon says he has gone to the first Lopa houses in four days from here, but that a Lopa, if he wants to could reach them in two from here, going light. Just as I was leaving the Tsangpo valley today it started to clear up in the East, and I caught a glimpse of a lovely scene, which I hope I will see again. Straight down the valley, beyond Tsela Dzong is a lovely snow covered mountain, locally called Gyala Tsutum (G. Peri of the map?). It is said to have had its top cut off, to be carried to Samye. But when at Yüsum, it was stopped in some way by a female deity (?) and planted there. The little hill just S of Yüsum is now said to be this peak, and pilgrims go round it.

5th July. Camp in Nayü Chu. 5 miles. Fine and bright all day long. No rain. A wasted day however. Kusho assured us there was no trouble about coolies, that all would be ready early in the morning. He always says this, and cannot get him to say what he knows. Three coolies had turned up by 8.0 am, then I went off. We waited some hours on the way up and two more appeared. Finally had to stop here, and we waited hopefully as gradually an odd man turned up, till finally the last lot of impressed Lopas arrived in camp at 6.30 pm. So at any rate we are off and with luck should reach the Pass tomorrow. Nothing of interest again. P. Florindae very common, and P. firmipes (flexilipes?) also, but over. The tree GIUGO from which the wooden teapots are made is a maple of sorts, not the one found further west though. I have not seen it before. (No. 5740.).

6th July. Camp about 4 m. N. of Nayü La. 9 miles. BP. 193.4. Temp 65° Time 2.30 pm. Ht app. 10700'
Rained pretty steadily at night, and all morning there was heavy rain. From 2.0 pm on, more or less fine. This was a much more interesting day. I am surprised how low we still are, but we have reached the very wet zone, and flowers are more numerous. I saw what is almost certainly P. Whitei on the way up here - not in flower of course. The most interesting things were Lil. giganteum 5743, and a white water lily 5759, the first we have ever come across. A new Smilacina too was collected, 5756, and a beautifully coloured one 5754, probably the same as that taken in Bhutan last year. This valley must have been a huge lake at some time. It abounds in swamps, in fact...

SUMMARY:
The party trekked through spruce, oak, pine, and larch forest, passed below Chunyima, obtained butter and fresh milk from herdsmen with yaks, and noted several plants including Primula atrodentata and Lilium wardii. They reached Tongkyuk Dzong after 68 days, glimpsing the Po Yigrong Range and collecting limited seed of an unidentified Rhododendron, a Gaultheria, and an evergreen Berberis.

CONTENT:
hard indeed - so much so that the kukri we used to cut out plants was broken slightly, & sparks were actually made when striking the ground! This might possibly be P. bhutanica or Whitei. Like P. atrodentata the buds were covered with dense farina. We did not see Chunyima at all, but passed below it scarcely a few miles (2?) to an open space, on the other side of the river from which is a herdsman's hut where there are two men with 50 yaks. Up behind that is a very fine snow peak (Sangdam Pu?) where the valley looks very good for flowers. We got some very dirty butter from them at 9 sangs the piece, about 1 1/2 lbs. Also most excellent fresh milk as a gift. The milk was brought in a ladle made of Rhododendron wood, holding about 1/2 gallon. Our 4 coolies caught us up today joined us here, so did 7 extra pony loads which had come on "sadsi". The path all day is through fine spruce, holly oak & latterly a little pine larch. Rhododendron in places plentiful. For the first mile or two the valley is open: thence it is a gorge, but everywhere very pretty indeed. My one only pair of shoes have given out, & am reduced to gym shoes from now on. We saw a little Mec. betonicifolia at Lunang, but no more anywhere else. I also saw one Prim. chungensis. Prim. atrodentata is everywhere & is all ready for moisture & a little warmth, to put it into flower.

22nd Dec. Tongkyuk Dzong. Home at last, after 68 days. It is worth it though, from what we can see. The march today was through conifer & rhod. forest all the way, but the forest was too thick for us to get but a glimpse of the Po Yigrong Range N. of Tongkyuk. We left at 7.30 & got in at 1.30. The road is good most of the way. In the plant line the most interesting things on the march were Lilium Wardii, common on the steep bracken covered slopes in the picea & pinus forest. A Rhododendron of which we got a little seed is one I don't recognize. We also got a Gaultheria & an evergreen Berberis, but saw no...

SUMMARY:
Notes a striking new Aconitum (longipedicellatum) in juniper patches and abundant Cyananthus lobatus along the route. Describes an 11-mile day from Chusam to Chuichchar at 13,000 ft with rain and muddy paths, Lumsden losing his braces, and a halt day exploring west of Chuichchar to collect and mark white-flowered plants and seeds.

CONTENT:
150
2100 Aconitum longipedicellatum sp. nov. - long lax inflorescence & slender arching pedicels - a distinct & most striking species. - blue violet - never seen again
is also down here, in the little patches of juniper. A few Notholirion
campanulatum on the path from Chusam here, but very few & far
between. P. whitei has thrown its seed. Everything here has grown
enormously. The grass where not eaten is a couple of feet high.

22nd August. Chuichchar. 11 miles. 13000' After an awful night of
rain, it was just fine all day till about 2.0pm, then steady
but light rain the rest of the day. The path was in a filthy
mess all the way down. Cyananthus lobatus is lovely all the
way, particularly near Yarap & here. The Chusam gentian is
very common here among shrubs & rhododendrons. C. stylophora
is in seed but not yet ripe. Lumsden is in a peevish
temper today, having lost his braces in the morning! I
think because everyone laughed when they were found in
his bedding here, he is still more peeved.

23rd August. Halt. Fine till about 1.0pm. I went up the valley
W of Chuichchar, & had quite a good day. P. valentiniana is in seed,
barely ripe, P. 1621 has thrown a lot of seed, others are still some
in flower. Whole areas of steep hillside are absolutely covered
with Cyananthus lobatus. I saw three white plants, & marked
each with a stone. Also got seed of a white alpine Delphinium,

SUMMARY:
Field notes from Gyechar describe an early start aided by two of H.H.'s men and an ascent to Tunk La, with observations of primulas (including P. bracteosa, P. gracilipes, and P. whitei) and changing vegetation with altitude. Weather was fine to cloudy with mist at night, elevations ranged from about 9525' to ~12900', and magpies were seen in the evening.

CONTENT:
which were not in flower. Magnolia campbellii (18648) was a very fine sight indeed, in full bloom, very common. Of primulas we found P. bracteosa (18644) almost over, another I don't think I have seen before, perhaps P. listeri (18669). It is really lovely to get away on the job again. We had a fine day with interesting flowers on the whole. Fine, clouding later, mist at night.

10th April. Gyechar. 10 miles. 195.4. 64°. 2.0 pm. 9525'. There was some rain at night, the day was cloudy with bright intervals. We were very early up & off by 5.45 which was good for our young team. Having two of H.H.'s men helps a great deal. They are good & what's more they are prepared to work. P. bracteosa was very common on the way up, & I took it again in better flower 18675. While taking it, I saw growing with it P. gracilipes 18673, which was very pretty there. P. bracteosa gives place to P. gracilipes above 11500'. Later on, further up, we came across P. whitei 18676, and was common up to the top & much further down this side. I must say I think it one of the best primulas there is. It was markedly short of the usual farina, in fact showed none of the copious farina so usual until we found some quite low down on this side. The path up & down is quite good, & the Tunk La is about 12900' (BP 189.3. 58°. 9.30 am). We made it 5 miles up & 5 down, the east side being easier on the whole. Vegetation changes rapidly. Rhododendron species predominate at the top, & give way suddenly to Tsuga, Picea & Pinus excelsa, the last of which continue down here. I saw two pairs of magpies here this evening, as I've seen them

SUMMARY:
At Lepo the party halted for two days; Danong explored a stream from Chio Tso and found masses of Primula, while the diarist noted rhododendrons, firs and larch, and prepared mail. Rain limited finds the next day, though P. Boothii was abundant at waterfalls, and Lumsden took a shot at pintail ducks.

CONTENT:
38

7th April. Halt. Lepo. A lovely morning, fine up till about 4.0 p.m. Danong went up the nala coming from the Chio Tso, found there Primula 1186 in masses; also some unopened specimens of P. Boothii (?) & another primula only in leaf. I went up pretty high opposite camp, but only found the same denticulata-like primula with the white eye. There are a number of rhododendrons out, mostly barbatum & Thomsonii, & some others behind camp which are not yet in bloom. The hills are well covered with a mixture of fir & pine & rhododendron. The fir is a fine one 1286, growing to 100 ft or more. Mail will be sent off in the morning.

8th April. Halt. Lepo. Rain again nearly all day. I spent the morning out, but found nothing of any interest, nor did Danong. P. Boothii is in masses at most waterfalls; it is a fine sight when bunched together in big patches as it is beside water which always splashes it. I took a very fine specimen, 1292. There is a good deal of larch about just coming out now. Saw a few pintail duck & Lumsden had a shot at them. There are

Marginal Notes:
P. atrodentata 1290
P. Whitei 1186, 1291
P. macrophylla 1287
gracilipes 1292
Rh. barbatum
Rh. Thomsonii
Rh. Baileyi 1285
Picea spinulosa
P. gracilipes
P. gracilipes 1292
Larix griffithiana 1295

SUMMARY:
Notes on pine species near the river and collection of Ward's lily bulbs; very cold by the bridge below Trongchu Dz. Halt days are spent in camp developing photos and unpacking a working thermograph, with views toward the Sobhe la; awaiting Ludlow and Elliot while the Dzongpon, a monk, is present, and more animals and kit arrive with a note from Ludlow.

CONTENT:
Pinus tabuliformis 12028
Armandii 12029
Tsuga dumosa 12030
P. whitei 12021

More of yesterday's Primula (12021). Ward's lily had a few seeds left and we took about a dozen bulbs. About one mile below Trongchu Dz, the local river is crossed by a bridge. It is very cold indeed down there, as only a very little sun reaches the river. Just before reaching the river, the same pine is met with as in the Tsangpo valley. The pine all the way down the Rong Chu is different, having 4 leaves in a sheath, instead of 2.

23rd Dec. Halt. Another perfect day, which we spent in camp doing odd things, developing photos and so on. No sign of Ludlow and Elliot, but a little more help has come in. The views everywhere here are really wonderful. We looked up the valley today, and caught a glimpse of the valley coming down from the Sobhe la. The Dzongpon is here and does not really take over till tomorrow. He is a monk. I unpacked the thermograph today, and was relieved to find that it worked. So many things have become broken in the last months, that I feared the worst.

24th Dec. Halt. Fine and clear still. Ten more animals in with kit and a note from Ludlow to say he does not expect to be here for a few days yet. We went up the

SUMMARY:
Entries describe travel from Mera over the Nyuhsang La to Rungzyung, with rhododendron and Primula collections, mist and patchy snow at higher elevations, and assistance from Puntso Dzongpen. The following day the route continues over the Choling La, with further specimens gathered and mention of Tanduk and Ahmad Shah encountering trouble securing coolies at Sakden.

CONTENT:
month. The Rhododendron Society's Rhododendron book says "Capsule unknown", but K.W. has collected seed before now. However I have taken two specimens (each duplicate) of the capsules.

15th November. Mera. 13000'(?) 10m(?). Rained a good deal in the night, was cloudy all day. I left at 7.0 before coolies had turned up.
Collected a few rhododendrons on the way up to the Nyuhsang La (R. cauliferum 2861, 2862; R. campanulatum 2860; R. sp. 2859; R. tsariense 2858; R. micromeres 2857; R. sp. 2856 & 2855). Also another specimen of 1173 P. boothii from about 13500'. Genl.
Anemone was still in flower, but no ripe seeds were seen. There was a fair amount of old snow in patches on the Nyuhsang La, on the path on the Mera side. Puntso Dzongpen came with me, the kit being sent down direct to Rungzyung. We got in at 3.0 pm. Fine all the way, but thick mist from 13000' on the pass. Puntso cooked my dinner — Oxo & curry, perfectly well, & stayed in the Dzongpen's house there.

16th November. Rungzyung 14 m.? 4500? Left at 6.30, in at 2.30 pm, over the Choling La (Whitei 2864 on Choling La). Fine all day, but cloudy & some rain & snow on the hills, no news. Collected specimens of 1166 & 1167 again (P. whitei & P. paucispinosa), both for dry specimens & to send home alive. I find Tanduk & Ahmad Shah had a great deal of trouble with coolies. None turned up at Sakden & Tanduk only got off at dusk.

SUMMARY:
Notes on abundant Primula geraniifolia and P. whitei in rhododendron and bamboo forest, distinguishing them from Boothii, and a route description from Cangke Gompa over Tigche La to Longkegang. Records include sighting and photographing a blood pheasant with chicks, a rainy halted day with mist, and only a few Rhod. glaucum seen while awaiting mail.

CONTENT:
on the north side of the Lao La ½ m from the pass. But we
only saw Primula geraniifolia, which we saw in masses. It was
very common, always in thick rhododendron & bamboo forest,
liking small stream banks rather damp steep banks. There is
a lot of P. whitei, but none in ripe seed yet. Both P. whitei
& Boothii have now huge leaves, big fat scapes. But they
can easily be distinguished by the shape of leaves, & the fact
that Boothii never has the winter bud. // From Cangke Gompa
a path leads up the Ridge to the north, towards a big cliff,
which it passes, keeping to the Right, at m 3. At m 4 the
Tigche La is reached. From here the descent is steep at
first, gradually easing, to m 7 where Longkegang is reached. //
I came across blood pheasant with newly hatched chicks, &
spent a long time looking for chipped eggs, but saw none. Took
some photos of the male bird.
4th June. Halt. Rained in night, was misty all morning, with
some rain. Clouds low on hills. We did another big circle, to the
west today, but saw nothing of interest, except a few more
bushes of Rhod. glaucum. I have been expecting a mail for
several days now, but there is no sign of one coming.

• SUMMARY:
  Notes record film exposures and subjects including Primula bracteosa, P. mollis, P. whitei, Rhododendron ciliatum, and Magnolia, with views from Tumbe La and Kyikyi La and activities in local villages. Entries include altitudes, temperatures, and scenes such as dancers, prize-giving by H.H. and Her H., and a view with Ngudup Namgyel.

CONTENT:
Tumbe La. BP. 189.3" T. 58°. 9.30 am. Ht. 12972'
Gyecha. " 195.4" T. 64° 2.0 pm. " 9525'

B.W. Film Pack. 1–5 Kinga Rapden. G.S. 5. Kodachrome. P. bracteosa.
6 P. bracteosa 18644 view in forest near Tumbe La
7 "
Dev. 1/4. 8 P. mollis. 18669 On Tumbe La to E.
8 oz. pr. 2x Normal. 9 Magnolia. 18648 view with Ngudup Namgyel.
10 P. bracteosa. 18675 View N. to snows from path E of La
11 P. whitei by stream. 18676 P. whitei by stream.
12 Rhod. ciliatum. View from Kyikyi La to Dorukhara
Tumbe La. 11/4

Dufaycolor. 1st batch. 1 P. bracteosa Byakar Dz. 11/4.
G.S. (1) 2 mollis filipes Crab Apple. Bumthang 12/4.
3 bracteosa
4 whitei (without filter)
5 whitei.
6 Rhod. ciliatum.

Kodachrome C.S. 1

• C.S. 2

• C.S. 3.

• C.S. 4
  Bauhinia 3 shrubs 30/3

• Over Wangdi Chu. 1/4

• Namtir village

• H.H. & Her H. giving prizes.
  Boat at Byeti Zam 31/3

• Bauhinias " 1/4

• Arriving K. Rapden. Dancers 4/4

• Coolies on way up to Shampong 31/3

• Mules & coolies 1/4

• Dancers

• Doctoring. 2/4

• Dance at Palace.

• H.H. & Her H's children. 6/4