PRIMULAS 33 



and for the Himalaya the scenery is somewhat tame. 

 But the number of herbaceous plants is great. A 

 complete record of them would include most of the 

 common genera of Europe and North America. 

 Among them are purple, yellow, pink, and white 

 primulas, golden potentillas, gentians of deepest 

 azure, delicate anemones, speedwells, fritillaries, 

 oxalis, balsams, and ranunculus. One special 

 treasure of this part is a great red rose (Rosa 

 macrophylla), one of the most beautiful of 

 Himalayan plants whose single blossoms are as 

 large as the palm of the hand. With these plants 

 from the temperate zone are mixed the far outliers 

 of the tropical genera — orchids, begonias, and 

 others — whose ascent to these high regions has been 

 favoured by the great summer heat and moisture. 



We are now in the region of the primulas for 

 which (besides its orchids and rhododendrons) 

 Sikkim is famous. Sikkim may indeed be called 

 the headquarters of the Indian primroses, and 

 many species are found there which appear to occur 

 nowhere else. There are from thirty to forty species, 

 the majority growing at altitudes from 12,000 to 

 15,000 feet, two or three only being found below 

 10,000 feet, and two or three as high as 16,000 to 

 17,000 feet. The best known is the Primula 

 sikkimensis, which grows well in England and 

 resembles a gigantic cowslip. It thrills us to see it 

 growing in golden masses in the high valleys in wet 

 boggy places — though the precise colour may be 

 better described as lemon-yellow rather than gold. 



The prevailing colour of the primulas is purple, 

 but white, yellow, blue, and pink are also found. 



