81 DR. AiTcnisoN o]sr the flora of lahul. 



barter for wool. Indeed the country acts more as one of tlie 

 great highways for India, via Thibet, to Central Asia — " chiefly 

 due to the suddenly lowered elevation that occurs in the hills 

 that bound it on the south as well as in those that bound it on the 

 north," viz. at the Eotang and Bara-Lacha passes. This highway 

 crossing through Kullu passes over the Botang Pass, crossing the 

 Chundra river at Koksar by a lately erected bridge, keeps along 

 the northern bank of the Chundra to near its union with the 

 Bhaga river, where, a little above the union of the two rivers, it 

 crosses the Bhaga by a good bridge. It now passes up the 

 western bank of the Bhaga river as far as Patseo ; here the road 

 crosses the river by a bridge, the greater part of which is a na- 

 tural formation from overhanging rocks, a small portion only of 

 it requiring to be finished by art. The eastern side of the valley 

 is now kept until the snow-bridge is reached ; across this the road 

 goes in close proximity to the Bara-lacha pass, over w^hich the 

 road goes to the north. 



Along this road nearly all the chief villages of Lahul occur ; and 

 since the formation of the bridge at Koksar, the road is traversable 

 throughout its w'hole extent by ponies and mules. 



The Flora, — As already stated, the valley of Lahul up to an 

 elevation of nearly 11,000 feet is characterized during summer 

 by its verdiu-e, but above this height by general aridity and bar- 

 renness. Thus, out of 282 species furnished by the accom- 

 panying collection (of the elevation of the localities of w^hich we 

 have a very fair general idea), we find no less than 56 species 

 especially connected Avith 8500 feet, 9000 feet, 9500 feet, and 

 10,000 feet, besides 95 species ranging from 8500 to 10,000 feet, 

 and, in addition to them, 54 species coming dowoi from higher 

 elevations to these lower ones, — that, in short, 205 species out of 

 282 arc to be met with in a region extending over the first 2500 

 feet of altitude, viz. from 8500 to 11,000 feet, and that 77 species 

 occur only above this height, viz. from 11,000 feet to 16,000, 

 with 54 species common to this as well as the lower elevation. 

 Prom 10,000 to 15,000 feet inclusive, we find on an average not 

 more than 55 species occurring at every region of 1000 feet. 



Thus at 11,000 feet the total number of species collected 

 amounts to 57, at 12,000 feet to 54 species, at 13,000 feet to 51, at 

 14,000 feet to 56, at 15,000 feet to 48, 



AVe come to a minimum at 16,000 feet, three species only be- 

 longing to this height, with five that are common to it as well as 



■m 



to a lower elevation, making only eight in all. 



