an expedition to bhutan - scottish rock garden...

34 Elspeth MacKintosh

This particular account of our recent Bhutanese expedition is offeredmost gratefully to members of the SRGC, whose financial supporthelped make my own participation possible. The eastern Himalayas

have long been considered critically important in terms of globalbiological diversity and Bhutan, because of its global isolation and theinaccessible nature of much of the country, remains a reserve of anastonishing array of plants. With habitats varying from tropical to alpine,this small country is home to some 5000 plant species including 600orchids and 46 rhododendrons. Few botanists have visited although thelegendary Frank Ludlow & George Sherriff made seven major expeditionsinto Himalayan Bhutan between 1933 and 1949. They collected largenumbers of herbarium specimens and seed collections and laterdescribed many new species. More recently, botanists from the RoyalBotanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) collaborated on the Flora of Bhutan(2002) and Bhutan has since developed its own Botanic Garden andNational Herbarium with its own researchers. Because of its inaccessiblenature, many of the country’s areas still require botanical investigation.

BhutanBhutan, called Druk Yul (Land of the Thunder Dragon) by its people,

is a small land-locked country in the eastern Himalayas. It is bounded byTibet to the North and India to the South with Sikkim and ArunachalPradesh lying respectively west and east. It is about 300 km long and 150km wide, an area similar to Switzerland.

Almost the entire country is mountainous and ranges in height from100 metres to the 7451 metres peak of Gankhar Puensum on the Tibetanborder. It is divided into three major geographical regions: the Himalayanregion to the North, the hills and valleys of the inner Himalayas in thecentral belt, and the foothills and plains to the South opening into India.

An Expedition to Bhutan

Elspeth MacKintosh

The southern plains have a tropical climate whereas the uplands havecool winters and hot summers. The northern mountains have extremelycold winters and cool summers. The summer monsoon that sweeps upfrom the Bay of Bengal affects the whole country between May andAugust. The population is small – almost seven hundred thousand, ofwhom 65% are Buddhist of Tibetan origin. The remaining 35% are ofNepali origin and are Hindus, settled in the southern foothills. The countryhas one of the smallest economies of the whole world and GrossNational Happiness takes precedence over Gross National Product. It isstill very much rural with 69% of the population involved in agricultureworking 8% of the land. Sheer inaccessibility coupled with low populationand the Buddhist reverence for Nature have brought Bhutan unspoilt intothe 21st century with 72% of its land still under virgin forest. As such itremains a mecca for botanists, virtually unchanged since Ludlow & Sherriffexplored the valleys during the last century.

The Chance of a LifetimeIn spring 2010 I was invited to join a group of plant enthusiasts (Julia

Corden, Tim Lever, David & Margaret Thorne and Martin Walsh) to trek tothe legendary Me La area in Northern Bhutan. It is a restricted area closeto China and Arunachal Pradesh and no botanists are thought to havevisited since Sherriff was there in 1949. Unfortunately, we were deniedpermission at the last minute and had to arrange a new itinerary. Ourorganizer, Sonam Wangchen, came up with a new route in Central Bhutanexploring two river systems and botanizing the unknown area betweenthem to heights of 5000m. Our aim remained unchanged: we were tostudy high altitude alpines, in particular Meconopsis and Primula. For me,this was the chance of a lifetime. Having grown and tended Himalayanplants in the RBGE for the last 20 years, the opportunity to study them intheir native habitats and to tread the same unspoilt valleys as thelegendary plant hunters Ludlow & Sherriff would realize a dream. Inpractical terms I hoped the experience would strengthen my plantknowledge of high altitude alpines and aid me in their cultivation.

Our journey took place in the last half of June 2010 in a countrydominated by rivers (Bhutanese Chu) and passes (Bhutanese La ), bothvery important features in Bhutan’s geography. There are four major riversystems, three of which flow from Tibet. Flowing south, they have carveddeep valleys, making east-west travel a tedious process of sharp andwinding ascents and descents. Our route lay along tributaries of theMangechu (Mange River) which drains Central Bhutan. Starting at Nikkachuon the west-east main road, we headed northwards up the Nikkachu toMaroothang and the Om Tscho, heading to Padima Tscho and over theChukarpo river. Then eastwards to cross the Sasachu and down to thebasin of Warthang. East again, and down to the Mangechu before our last

35An Expedition to Bhutan

climb over the Jule La. The Gorsum Chuled to our finishing point at Dur. Thealtitude ranged from 2603m at our start toa maximum of 4983m at the Demso Labefore finally dropping to 2727m at Dur.The first and final legs of our expeditiontrod the same ground as Ludlow & Sherriff;they had explored the Nikkachu area, andLudlow botanized around Dur in 1949.

Yak trails lead through silver fir forest,rhododendron woodland, juniper andrhododendron scrub to high alpinepastures crossing high passes beforedropping back down to cross rivers.Ascents and descents are steep and it isnot unusual to climb 400m to drop 700min a day. Our last four days would be spentdriving across and out of the country atSangdrup Jongkhar in the south. Thiswould be a bonus, offering the full rangeof warmer vegetation zones, Blue Pine andEvergreen Oak, Chir Pine and broadleafforest, culminating in sub-tropical on thedescent towards India.

The High Botanical TrekFlying in from Delhi over the

Himalayas with the high peaks rearingthrough the clouds and diving down toBhutan’s only airport in the beautiful Parovalley leaves a lasting impression. Fewpilots are qualified to fly this route, whichsuddenly plunges past steeply forestedridges. Wingtips almost brush the housesat what must be the most scenic airport tobe found. Welcoming Bhutanese in theirstriking national costume placed Buddhistscarves round our necks in their traditionalwelcome and we were whisked off to thecapital, Thimpu. The air was clean andclear as we drove through alpine scenes oflittle white houses scattered over thegreen valley flanks.

Iris clarkei and prayer flags at Dochu La

The next day we met our trek staff and drove eastwards to thePhobjika valley through forest-clad twisty roads, crossing mist-shroudedpasses with their chortens (memorials to the teachings of the Buddha)and prayer flags. Familiar plants abounded- pines, oaks, hemlocks,primulas, anemones and arisaemas. We stopped at Dochu La to walkthrough a glade of magnificent moss-clad hemlocks festooned with prayerflags. Magnolia globosa was in full flower with Iris clarkei and Arisaemagriffithii close by. We had our first sighting of Pleione hookeriana beddedin a mossy tree trunk.

Dropping to valley floor level we came across spindly pines, paddyfields and Opuntia hedges. We visited the impressive 16th Century dhzong(palace) at Punakha built at the confluence of two rivers. To this daydhzongs remain the seats of administration and monastic teaching. Wethen climbed up twisting wooded roads over the Lowa La (3200m) to thecloud-shrouded beautiful and wooded Phobjikha valley. The rare black-necked crane arrives here every autumn from Tibet when the farmingfamilies migrate from the valley to warmer climes. Sadly, there were nostragglers to be seen. We drove past stands of prayer flags, twisting upvalleys with traditional homesteads scattered along their flanks, cattle andhorses in fields, and crops of potatoes behind ranch-style fencing. Wedrove through woods of rhododendron, fir and birch with pink moyesii-type roses and Buddleja colvilei. Clumps of Arisaema and Euphorbiagriffithii grew at the roadside. Crossing the Phele La with its chortens andprayer flags, we saw on the other side of the valley the Black MountainNational Park that stretches south to the border with India.


’Buttoned Ghost Orchid’ Amitostigma puberulum

On the approach to Nikkachu, wesaw our first lily, Lilium nepalense, inbud on the roadside banking.Seventeen yaks waited to carry ourbaggage and food but I was distressedto see blood trails running down theircoats from the attacks of tiger leeches.The leeches drop off after they have hadtheir fill but the wound keeps bleeding.Seemingly, yak herders would gather up‘full’ leeches and cook them – Bhutanblack pudding!

With back packs, and trekkingpoles at the ready, we set off up thevalley. Local children saw us off. Wefollowed yak herders’ tracks that lead tothe upper pastures and passes. Flowersstudded the pasture, small orchids likebuttoned ghosts, potentillas, bugle andthe small yellow Hypoxis aurea. Roscoeaalpina and pink Pedicularis werecolourful.

After lunch we met three girlswalking homeward down from theLunana district on the Tibetan border.They had been collecting Cordyceps,the fungus-invaded caterpillar that is


Lilium sherriffiae

Primula primulina

literally worth its weight in gold. This caterpillar phenomenon is commonin Tibet and I had wondered if we would meet collectors in Bhutan. Onefamily member is allowed to collect for the month of June and we metmany collectors of all ages, some with tiny babies. They travel light andwalk like the wind in their blue wellies.

We continued through woodland, the trees moss-clad with anunderstorey of rhododendrons. Pleione hookeriana poked out of a mossytrunk and a pretty little oxalis caught the eye. Following the river we gotinto camp late, picking our way over boulders in the dark, the riverominously close.

Next day we left our buttercup camp in its woodland clearing andsaw by daylight the boiling river. A yak was to fall in later with its load ofrice. We went upwards through untouched woodland heading forMaroothang. Our first Meconopsis, the yellow flowered M. villosa, grew bythe path alongside green-hooded arisaemas. A strange horse lichen grewbeside a petiolarid primula (no longer in flower) and Primula geraniifoliagrew on the pathside banking. Polygonatum and a red-floweredMaianthemum oleraceum arched towards the path over a carpeting offerns, Viola biflora and yellow potentillas. We discovered Meconopsispaniculata as the woodland thinned. Its smaller relative, the blue-floweredMeconopsis primulina, grew in the shelter at the foot of a tree.

We were now in leech country and were wary of walking throughthe small scrubby bamboo. However, a leech dropped onto my neck


Primula sapphirina

from an overhanging branch. As the woodland thinned into rocky pastureby the river, we saw our first Androsace cushion, white-floweredAndrosace globifera, clothing the ground under a berberis. Exploring aside ravine we came upon a treasure chest of plants – cushions of pinkand white androsaces clothed the rocky banks together with Meconopsisbella and Anemone rupicola. A small crucifer, Pycnoplinthopsis bhutanica,with its rosette of jagged leaves and white flowers grew at the watersidewith the sweetly scented white Primula munroi and the larger Primulasikkimensis var. hopeana. This P. sikkimensis was much shorter and finerthan any specimen I had seen before and had a creamy whitecolouration. We were to become quite familiar with these plants as ourtrek progressed.

Climbing higher, a lovely pink lily was found, looking very much likea pink form of Lilium sherriffiae - but neither had been recorded in thisarea. Next day, Martin, Sonam and Tim returned to the ravine; they founda darker form that indicated the ‘new’ lily was indeed a pink form of L. sherriffiae.

We ascended through the yak pastures by the Nikkachu. At the last‘shop’ in the valley we found a lady cleaning Cordyceps. It is valuable, andshe was nervous at letting us borrow it to photograph. Prayer flags linedour way through rhododendron woods, the pretty Clematis montanatongluensis scrambling throughout. White- and blue-flowered Meconopsissimplicifolia grew under shrubs. Out in open pasture were attractiveclumps of Arisaema and abundant Primula munroi in wetter areas. My firstclump of the little Primula primulina was seen here with its pompom ofwhite hairs in its throat, growing close to the creeping stoloniferousSaxifraga brunonis. Cassiope fastigiata and a pale yellow Rhododendronlepidotum grew on the top of a large rock with cushions of Androsace atits base. A tiny rush with white ‘flowers’, Juncus aff. thomsonii, looking likea small allium, was widespread with the yellow-bracted Chrysosplenium.

Carrying on up to the top of the valley the slopes were clothed withRhododendron campanulatum. Meconopsis paniculata scattered over therocky slopes with Meconopsis horridula; a white flowered Lloydiadrooped in the shelter of a rock. Towards the top, altitude sicknesspowered in and the yak man had to push me uphill past beautiful plantswhich I did not have the energy to stop at. Our camp was set out on agrassy pasture between snow-clad rocky slopes. The toilet tent was abeacon.

On the fourth day I enjoyed the Bhutanese cure for altitude sickness- garlic and ginger soup and ginger tea by the bucketful! I had soup forbreakfast, lunch and dinner. Thankfully this became a rest day thatentailed only a gentle stroll and plenty of fluids. We walked through driftsof Primula sikkimensis var. hopeana down to the ‘Lake with no Tail’, so-called by the Bhutanese because it has a number of waterfalls entering


but no visible exit point. Yellow Lloydia flavonutans and whiteLeontopodium dotted the alpine turf with occasional clumps of Primulacalderiana and P. macrophylla. The dwarf P. sapphirina, its violet flowerslike tiny parasols, was abundant on damper ground and in the lakesidewater flush Corydalis calliantha and Sedum oreades formed pervasiveyellow clumps throughout.

On rockier slopes white and yellow saxifrages grew with Meconopsishorridula, and yellow and pink forms of Pedicularis looked attractiveamongst clumps of small prostrate willow. We found clumps of creamy-yellow Primula elongata in amongst small rhododendrons with Cassiopewhile Rheum nobile stood out high on the steep slopes on the valleybehind.

Refreshed next day, we headed over the Om Tscho La (4574m) toPadima Tscho, passing the Om Tscho lake. Following a dry start we walkedup and past the ‘lake with no tail’, its surface like a mirror in the stillmorning air. It was a pleasure to photograph Meconopsis horridula andsome rather attractive clumps of Primula megalocarpa. The damp slopewas a carpet of yellow Caltha palustris himalaicus. On a ridge overlooking


Pedicularis oederi

the lake we found lovely Diapensia himalaica growing on anorth-facing slope with pink Rhododendron anthopogon.A flat damp area of pasture was carpeted with Primulacalderiana, Caltha and a small white anemone. Theskeletal-flowered Primula tenuiloba was widespread on adamp bank and Primula megalocarpa thrived. Once overthe pass we descended to the lakeside where broad driftsof Primula sikkimensis var. hopeana ran down to its shore.Many of the creamy-white flowers had a very attractiverose-tinted corolla tube. Fluffy Eriophyton wallichianum andCorydalis meifolia ran around in the rockier scree areas,while in the steep lakeside pasture Pedicularis and the pinkPonerorchis chusua orchid made a pretty display withwhite Anemone rupicola amongst Cotoneaster. Dainty

Primula atrodentata made a shy appearance. Further on,Meconopsis bella and a pink crucifer grew on the rockyslopes alongside showy yellow-flowered Saxifraga thianthavar. citrina. The steep slope on the other side of the valleywas densely clothed with larger rhododendrons.

Our camp at the far end of the lake was probablywhere Ludlow had camped in 1949. By chance, a passingCordyceps hunter had actually met him. This man, TenzinNorbu, was a young child when he met his first westerner(Ludlow) and had been intrigued by the man ‘puttingflowers into a book ’.

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Below: Primula umbratilis Right: Diapensia himalaica

Day six brought a fine start. We dropped 400m tocross a river and then climbed 900m towards our campbelow the Khema La. It was wet and slippery underfoot aswe cut down a landslip through the juniper scrub to mixedwoodland; I fell several times. In the woodland we cameacross our first Meconopsis sinuata with nodding lilac-blueflowers in a group of four in the shelter of arhododendron. A mauve-flowered Polygonatum kasuensecaught our attention as the diminutive Parnassia delavayigrew amongst rhododendron leaf litter. On the climb outof the woodland a fine colony of exquisite Primulaumbratilis inhabited a rocky slope and a very large cushionof Androsace lehmannii reared out of the juniper scrub likea white boulder.

As we gained height all the small primulas made anappearance whenever conditions suited and we spied anewcomer on a damp slope, Primula rebeccae.

Day seven – we came out of the tent to the snow-tipped peaks with waterfalls tumbling down steep greenslopes and the morning mist snaking up the valley below.Breakfasting in the mess tent, we looked onto a dampscree slope with Primula sikkimensis var. hopeana and thesmall ice-blue crucifer, Pegaeophyton scapiflorum ssp.robustum amongst the stones. After a short climb to ourfirst pass, we found Lilium nanum growing under a

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Saxifraga hemisphaerica (female form)

boulder, then found tightly cushioned Potentilla tapetodes abundant atthe top within a pink-studded carpet of the tiny bistort, Polygonummacrophyllum. Nestled amongst rocks were cushions of Arenariaalongside Eriophyton and a tight-cushioned Saussurea that looked morelike a Celmisia in foliage. The little white-flowered Draba bhutanica wasscattered around.

A new plant, a densely woolly white cut-leaved cushion turned outto be another Saussurea, S. tridactyla. Tiny electric-blue Corydalis ecristatadotted about and, over the pass, Lilium nanum was plentiful in the alpineturf with the hairy Anemone polycarpa, and small rhododendrons clothedthe slopes in a tapestry of colours - pink, yellow and white. The banksideswere dotted with yellow Lloydia flavonutans. Lake Conch (in the shape ofthe revered conch shell used in religious ceremonies) was glass-like with awash of Primula sikkimensis var. hopeana running down from the cliffs. Asteep slope was once more home to P. umbratilis and saxifrages werecommon amongst the rocks. From the second pass we made a difficult


Yellow-flowered Saxifraga thiantha var. citrina

Tenzin Norbu Yak lady

and muddy descent down to the bridge to cross over and climb to thenight’s camp. An impressive clump of Saussurea obvallata grew amongstthe rocks at the crossing.

Day eight started in heavy rain that didn’t let up. On the river plainwere no ibis, but the sweet scents of Primula munroi and aromatic pinkrhododendrons were very strong. Pink P. sapphirina rather than the violetform and herbaceous Potentilla carpeted the damp ground. We crossedboulder fields and old screes where well-flowered Meconopsis horridulawere flattened by the rain. Eriophyton, Corydalis, and yellow saxifrages alldefied photography while groups of Rheum nobile stood proudly on theother side of the valley. Where there is no path the plants remainundisturbed and are not collected as a Bhutanese vegetable.

Rain turned to driving sleet and we had to stop to defrost at a yakherder’s shelter, being wet through and frozen. The Bhutanese are such ahardy race – the yak lady was out knocking snow off their blue tarpaulinroof in bare feet! We shared lunch with them and she put on hertraditional hat to have her photograph taken. She and her husband hadnever seen westerners in this area and said we would be the first to crossover the pass.

On the ninth day we set off watched by a group of blue sheepcavorting on the snowy crags. We made our way up the valley wonderingif we were being watched by snow leopards. Elusive creatures, the elderlyyak herder had only seen them four times in his whole life. We followedthe stream upwards to cross extensive boulder fields with their tenaciousrhodiolas, and consolidated screes with their rich populations of highalpines – Eriophyton, Meconopsis horridula, saxifrages and primulas. Veryimpressive specimens of the woolly snowball-headed Saussureagossypiphora sheltered between rocks. An intriguing light-grey cushionwith toothed incurved leaves grew between rocks nearby. This wasSaxifraga hemisphaerica (female form); we never saw this plant again.

We erected a flag to celebrate our crossing the snowy Demso La andas we made our way downwards we came across a large population ofthe cushioned potentillas, and very nice specimens of Primula tenuilobaand P. caveana were tucked in between rocks. Very striking pink-floweredSaxifraga bergenioides made an appearance while a similar yellow-flowered and red-calyxed S. lychnitis made a good showing on a dampgrassy slope. Continuing downwards we followed a fresh landslip, leavingbehind the small alpine flora to be replaced with the largerRhododendron campanulatum and rat-tailed bistort. Underfoot wastreacherous, being a descent over slippy boulders down to our woodlandcamp.

That night the yaks chomped all night around our tent, the soundlike a waterlogged wellie. We made our way down to the river to crossthe bridge. On an open slope amongst dwarf rhododendrons and


Meconopsis sherriffii

Meconopsis paniculata

cotoneaster we found a goodspecimen of Cypripediumtibeticum alongside a collectionof small green orchids and thedeep pink Ponerorchis chusua. Afurther group of Cypripediumtibeticum looked tired as did anexample of C. himalaicum.However, a small group ofPrimula bellidifolia lookedcharming amongst the rocks.

Over the bridge onto apath through large-leavedrhododendrons we came acrossa very attractive thistle, Cirsiumeriophoroides, white and woollyin bud. In flower it would bestunning with a dark red centreand mauve filaments. Climbingpast red-thorned roses we wereon our way to look forMeconopsis sherriffii, reputed tobe in a clearing in the woodlandwhere the Abies densa had beendestroyed by fire. After crossing loose scree and a steep ravine, we foundonly one flowering plant, damp with all the rain but a lovely clear pink.

Climbing up and out ofthe ravine afforded us a closeinspection of the flora - a tighttapestry of cotoneaster, Ephedra,Rose, Spiraea and Juniper withAndrosace strigillosa. Re-joiningthe path to the campsite wecame across some very niceAndrosace cushions, all of whichwere eclipsed by thousands ofgolden Meconopsis paniculatain the mist at Shachu Na.

In the following clear morninglight we could see the path ofthe previous day snaking downthe valley opposite. It looked

Rheum nobile

Inside a Rheum nobile spike

very steep. Today we were to climb out of this valley and down toWarthang. There were thousands of golden Meconopsis but very fewrosettes of flowering size for the next season. Walking up the valley wefound a reasonable population of M. sherriffii growing through prostratejuniper and Lonicera. Further up, some very nice Androsace cushionsdotted the rocky landscape, all overlooked by stands of at least twohundred Rheum nobile on the upper rocky slopes. We met up withthem later and took the opportunity to look inside the spike. The leafybracts protect the reproductive parts and temperatures inside may be 5˚Cmore than the outside temperature. The spikes were almost 2 metres tall.

Drifts of Primula sikkimensis var. hopeana and Cremanthodiumbrightened the landscape and again the beautiful primulas, P. umbratilis,P. tenella and P. sapphirina accompanied us up and over the pass. In thisarea there are white forms as well as the blue shades of P. umbratilis.Descending into the Warthang amphitheatre we came across creamyyellow Primula elongata growing down a rock cleft and through a shrubbyjuniper. Rheum nobile advanced over the hillside while Cassiope anddwarf rhododendron clothed rocky outcrops. The alpine turf was studdedwith flowers of Lilium nanum and the tiny bistort with an even tinier blue


Rain and cloud in the Warthang basin

gentian. Water rivulets and the surrounding wet ground were home to apopulation of Cremanthodium, Meconopsis horridula, Primula sikkimensisvar. hopeana and saxifrages.

On the twelfth day we left the Warthang basin behind, climbed upthe pass and then dropped down 1000m to the hot springs at Dur Tsachu.On the opposite side of the valley the yak sheilings raised a smoke in theearly morning. This was to be our last yak day – ponies were waiting totake over at our next camp. As we climbed to the pass, Saussurea rosettesscattered over the rocky turf with Lloydia flavonutans and Meconopsis bella.

Once over the pass, Rhododendron campanulatum swathed thevalley sides together with Swertia and rat-tail bistort. A tall Lilium nanumflowered in the protection of a berberis. We continued, dropping intoPicea densa forest and then fell into a landscape of large rhododendronswith cherries and rowans. Clematis climbed through pink and yellowroses while Bergenia purpurascens spread over a mossy rock. As we oftennoticed, petiolarid primulas preferred to be on the down side of the rockswhereas pink Primula geraniifolia inhabited more open banking. The forceof last year’s monsoon was evident by the number of landslips andshattered trees in the valley bottom. We crossed a dilapidated bridge over


Lloydia flavonutans

the Mange Chu and climbed to our woodland camp, there making hasteto the hot springs where the promise of a long soak in a very hot open-airtub was long overdue!

A long thirteenth day offered the hope of a rest day at the JuleTscho. It had rained all night and promised to rain all day. A six-hour hardslog took us up through the woodland on a muddy rocky path. A newfind, the tall purple Corydalis flaccida, proved impossible to photograph.Astilbe rivularis was another discovery. Towards the upper reaches of thewoodland a large rock outcrop was the ideal habitat for the cliff-dwellersPrimula umbratilis, Meconopsis bella and Anemone rupicola. Lunch washeld at a yak sheiling sitting amongst a sea of yellow rather than whitePrimula sikkimensis var. hopeana. The rose staining on the corolla tubeswas also clear in this population. Elegant Geranium refractum appeared insmall numbers. Towards the Jule La, Anemone rupicola and cushions ofpink Androsace ludlowiana appeared on a rocky bank with Meconopsisbella and a charming pink-flowered, red-stemmed saxifrage.

Drifts of Anemone rupicola grew through the short turf. Down fromthe pass the slopes were clothed in large patches of Rhododendroncampanulatum with areas of short turf and scree. Swertia hookeri wereabundant. The valley slopes down to the lake were clothed withMeconopsis paniculata and Primula sikkimensis var. hopeana while thesheltered slopes on the other side of the lake were a solid mass of

Androsace ludlowiana

Rhododendron campanulatum. Our camp was set up at the far end ofthe lake, a pleasant walk after the exertions of earlier in the day.

Our rest day was at the Jule Tscho. It rained very heavily all night withwater running down the slopes and flooding the mess tent. By mid-morning the sun came out and there was a flurry of activity to dry and aireverything including the cook’s cheese! Horse mats covered the ground, acolourful array of Tibetan and Bhutanese textiles. There was a holidayatmosphere – with Cordyceps hunting and a special lunch; our horsesand the now ten-day-old foal lay among the primulas at the waterside.

Exploring our surroundings we again found the cruciferPegaeophyton scapiflorum ssp. robustum; this plant differs fromPycnoplinthopsis bhutanica in having smooth rather than jagged leafedges. Cremanthodium thomsonii was widespread in the stream delta


Meconopsis bella

with Primula sikkimensis var. hopeana and P. munroi. In contrast, abundantCremanthodium reniforme with its dark purple leaves preferred unstableshale but was too early to show us any flowers. Yellow Corydalis meifoliawas plentiful and an attractive starry Leontopodium was common in thealpine turf with Potentilla and Sibbaldia purpurea. Once more we cameacross the larger Primula elongata, P. macrophylla, P. calderiana and thediminutive mauve P. glabra as a solitary clump on a mossy rock. A rockygrassy bank provided some of the best Meconopsis bella that we haveseen. Spikes of Rheum nobile stood erect amongst the smallrhododendrons and large numbers of immature specimens werescattered up the watercourse.

We were woken in the depth of night by turmoil. Julia had woken toa rumbling crashing sound and the rushing of water. There had been alandslide and water was pouring around our tent. In the pitch dark wecould not see where the landslide was. A hurried camp evacuation - andwe spent a wet and cold night huddled under a survival blanket.

A late start after our ‘rest’, and we climbed for three hours to the JuleLa. Again, Lilium nanum was common in the short turf with Androsacecushions plentiful on damp pathside slopes. An altogether bigger yellowCorydalis with coarser foliage appeared and the small primulas of thesealtitudes, P. sapphirina, P. primulina and P. tenella were a joy to behold. P.glabra was present too but in no great numbers. As we ascended the passthe ground became rockier and Diapensia himalaica appeared in theshelter of rocks alongside a gentian bearing white sessile flowers. Yellowsaxifrage and blue Primula tenuiloba were constants in the landscapealong with Lloydia flavonutans. A new Chrysosplenium with shiny leatheryleaves and chestnut brown bracts grew on and around the stony path.

Once over the pass the sky cleared for us to see the wonderfulmountain panorama ahead. The last of Rheum nobile could be seen onupper slopes as we followed the watercourse down, leaving the high alpines.Small rhododendrons and Cassiope were replaced by juniper, Lonicera

Down the valley from the Jule La

and Rhododendron campanulatum.Fritillaria cirrhosa was spotted growingthrough a juniper as were Primulaelongata, Meconopsis simplicifolia and M.sinuata. Cyananthus lobatus grew in theshelter of berberis. This area was heavilygrazed by yaks and coarser flora likedockens and ferns appeared, with themore herbaceous Hackelia uncinata andSalvia wardii. Looking up the valley wenoticed a dew-like glistening on all thevery high pastures. Binoculars confirmed itto be vast drifts of Primula sikkimensis var.hopeana. Our camp was set up at theend of the valley and we made an easydescent through fields of Iris clarkei andPrimula sikkimensis which at this altitudewas yellow-flowered. The other side ofthe valley was clothed with Abies densa.

On our penultimate day we left thislovely section of the valley with itswinding river and green pastures, to walkdownriver towards our end point. Abiesdensa clothed the opposite slopes aspink-flowered Spiraea and willowsreplaced the rhododendron and junipers.We saw our last Meconopsis paniculataand Podophyllum, while Arisaema andAnemone rivularis reappeared.Cypripedium elegans was spottedgrowing in the shelter of a shrub, as did anew meconopsis, small and pale, possiblyM. lyrata. Following the path downriverthrough woodland we watched ourfooting; it was raining heavily and theponies had churned the new sections ofpath into deep mud. Rounding a bendwe found an open bank where I waspleased to see a group of Cypripediumhimalaicum. However, steps away, wasLilium sherriffiae, named in honour of

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Lilium sherriffiae

Betty Sherriff who found it in EasternBhutan. This elegant lily, wine outer withchequered inner, was scattered over thisbank, whose lower sections had sadlyalready fallen into the river following theheavy 2009 monsoon. A fine clump ofCypripedium tibeticum lay further alongbut this find was eclipsed by the lily. Therain was impossibly heavy as we madeour way to camp, ploughing andslipping through the mud. On seeinggrubbed-up soil at the base of a tree wetalked of Himalayan bears, only to findout later that not only were bearsbehind us on the trail but were also infront of us!

Day seventeen - a leech climbedinto my washing bowl in the morning, afine start to a long horribly muddy daywalking downriver. The paths, rocky atbest, were churned into boot-suckingsinkholes by the horses. The woodlandwas beautiful with moss-clad trees andelegant ferns. A fine patch of Roscoeapurpurea appeared in an open clearingbut I missed two good plants ofCardiocrinum giganteum because ofwatching my footing. I saw a specimenlater on but it was far too far up a bankamongst bamboo to get a decentimage. We climbed muddily at last toopen pastures with asters andPedicularis before dropping down to ourcamp at Chad Khang. A strenuousdescent down deep earth-banked pathsbrought us to a bank with the highlightof the day, a tiny orchid, a spiral of wine-red on white, Corybas elegans. Therewere about twenty plants of this rarityon this bank and no more were ever seen.


Corybas elegans

The seventh of July was our last trek day and it was dry. There was arelaxed atmosphere in camp and we walked at a leisurely pace downriverthrough mixed woodland to our finishing point at Dur. The horsemen hadcome across a large wild boar on this path the previous night but we justsaw Arisaema and Podophyllum in fruit, clumps of Calanthe tricarinata inthe shade and a Pyrola with nicely marbled foliage. On a cliff face abovethe river we saw Notholirion macrophyllum and an attractive large-flowered purple Thalictrum chelidonii over the water. Outside Dur wecame across fields of wheat and buckwheat, each with their guard-hut. Allmembers of farming families watch at night to save their crops from thewild boar which, either singly or in groups, forage nocturnally. At our stop,beer and crisps were waiting for us and the boys played Dago whilewaiting for the horses to appear. Dago is a game similar to bowls but usesflat stones instead of bowls. Each player has two stones and throws in turntowards a marker. There are five sets, the person whose stone gets nearestthe marker winning the set. Gambling makes the game more interesting!At the end, the horses romped down the last strait – they knew they weregoing home.

Sadly, we crossed the bridge to our bus; the trek was over but it wasstill to take us four days drive to cross the country to our exit point.

The Lower GroundOur last few days were spent driving to our departure at Sandrup

Jongkar. We said goodbye to Kaka, Pelden and Dhoji and drove eastwards,the road twisting along the sides of the valleys and over passes. Wepassed through woodland and a patchwork of fields of potatoes andbuckwheat in the Bumthang valley, stopping every so often to look atplants. At the Sheylang La we found a white slipper orchid, Cypripediumcordigerum, on top of a banking by the road. Winding down to the valleybottom past spectacular rockfalls we left behind the Abies densawoodland and entered a subtropical environment with paddy fields,maize fields and monkeys, the vegetation becoming progressively moretropical the further south we went, with palms and bananas, towering


Trek’s end

bamboos and tropical orchids. Black eagles soared over the valley. As wedrove south the silver fir gave way to bottle brush pine and we againcame across Lilium nepalense on banking. The white-flowered, yellow-centred Lilium wallichianum was a lovely find on a slope amongst lemongrass. The lemon grass scented the air. It is harvested in this area, the oilbeing extracted and sent to Germany.

At Trashigang we headed south hoping to find the location ofPrimula sherriffae which, according to Sherriff’s diary, was found on a ‘largecliff on the east side of the road ’. Sadly, we did not find it but, scatteredup a slope, we found a very showy Roscoea – a large-flowered white withpurple markings on the labellum. It was locally common and later we sawit with Lilium nepalense var. concolor at the top of a regraded bank. Noone had seen this before and it is thought that it may be a new species.

Heading south we wound up and down valley sides amongsttropical vegetation. The slopes were very steep and the lush plants jostledfor space. Plants I have only seen in heated glasshouses thrived – orchids,Hedychium and Costa. A charming little Corallodiscus was discoveredrunning down a wet rock bank. Waterfalls gushed onto the roads and wewere delayed by landslips.

For what seemed like days we slowly wended our way southwards.Every kilometre or so, road signs reminded drivers to take care – westarted noting them for their humour: ‘Be Mr Late, not late Mr ‘; ‘Be gentleon my curves ‘; ‘Reach home in peace, not in pieces ‘ … rain had made theroad treacherous with mud and there were very steep drops down theother side. Finally, the slopes flattened out to farmland and beyond thelast mountains we saw the flat plains of India. Descending towardsSandrup Jongkhar we caught sight of a pair of great hornbills, huge flashybirds swooping through the trees, every bit as tropical as the land theyinhabit – a fitting farewell and end to our adventure.

Problems en routeOur main problems owed to the terrain and the weather – neither

of which we could change. The trek itself was physically demandingsimply because of the steepness of the terrain. Trek days were longbecause of shortage of suitable camp sites (grazing land was also requiredfor the animals) and at times we had to walk much further thananticipated. Many of the climbs and descents were on steep and rockytrails that were often a challenge, particularly when muddy. New sectionsof trail rapidly became mud-pits with the constant rain and animal traffic.Always at the back of the mind was the thought of jeopardising theexpedition by having an accident – on one day alone I had seven falls!Thankfully, three months of gym training prior to the trek hadstrengthened my body and no real harm befell me.



Saussurea gossyipiphora

Altitude made exertion difficult, particularly on steep climbs. Eventhough I was taking Diamox to lessen the effects of altitude I sufferedbadly from headaches that worsened as the day wore on. As expected, itrained, and heavily. Quite often we started our day in rain, which madewalking more treacherous and also made us physically cold as well aswet. Photography under these conditions was tricky, with erratic lightlevels and cold hands. I took a new camera with me as backup. This, inhindsight, was not a good idea as operating a new camera under difficultconditions is not advisable.

Nevertheless, despite these adversities we saw and managed tophotograph a fantastic range of plants and their landscapes. And therestorative powers of a cup of tea and a biscuit at the end of a hard daycannot be overestimated!

AcknowledgementsI thank the SRGC (Exploration Fund) and the Royal Horticultural

Society (Blaxall Valentine Awards) for their generous financial aid, the RoyalBotanic Garden Edinburgh for their support and for giving me the time offfrom my normal duties. My thanks go to my travelling companions fortheir invitation to join the expedition and for their unfailing support andcompanionship.

It was a great privilege to visit such an unspoilt country and to seesuch a wonderful range of alpines. It surpassed all expectations. I wouldlike to return to Bhutan someday to study the alpine flora further. Ofcourse, the Me La would be the ultimate destination, as no overseasbotanist has visited ‘The Pass of the Flowers’ since Ludlow and Sherriff in 1949.

Further ReadingGrierson, A J C, D G Long et al. (1983-2002) Flora of Bhutan 9 volumes, RGBELever, T & M Walsh (2010) In Search of the Pink Poppywort, The Alpine Gardener 78 (3)Polunin, O and A Stainton (1984) Flowers of the Himalaya, Oxford University PressStainton, A (1998) Flowers of the Himalaya: A Supplement, Oxford University PressYoshida, T (2005) Himalayan Plants Illustrated, Yama-Kei Publishers

Corallodiscus species

an expedition to bhutan - scottish rock garden...

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