Part 141 - Marulhang (Rinchen Chu) halts and side-valley explorations, 3-4 July

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SUMMARY:
Notes a plan for Tsongpen Tenduk to visit the Pelada camp to collect items including primula seed, mentions a north-trending valley with seasonal yak herders’ huts, and describes rainy halts at Marulhang on the Rinchen Chu with exploratory walks over passes. Observations include Primula alpicola (luna), Meconopsis bella, and other alpine species, though little new was found.

CONTENT:
Geranium
large flowered geranium 3356, of which we only saw two specimens.
Tsongpen Tenduk will go over to our camp on Pelada of 6th-10th June tomorrow & pick up a few things there, including, I hope, seed of the new primula.
The valley goes away north for a good long way apparently, & I intend to follow it up for a day or two. No houses here, but a few huts, occupied for a short time later, by the yak herdsmen. No others are allowed here except for a very few days while passing to other grazing ground.

3rd July. Halt. Marulhang, Rinchen Chu. Rained all day. Purbo & I went up a side valley to the East, over a pass & into another N-S valley beyond. Then north & over another pass, back by a side valley coming down 1/2 m above camp. We saw a good deal of the primula 3353 (P. alpicola luna), & a good deal of Meconopsis bella 3361 (entire leaf form), but little else of interest which was new. Anemone rupicola 3358, P. sapphirina, pusilla & Hopeana are everywhere at the right height. A pretty beastly day.

4th July. Halt. Marulhang, Rinchen Chu. Rained very hard all day & all last night. Purbo & I went upstream & worked in some side valleys, but not high, and found nothing but a primula of the Sikkimensis section No 3370 (P. alpicola luna). It appears to be somewhat like P. 3353, in leaf shape, but it has nothing of farina; the corolla is rather smaller and not such a green-