THE VEGETATION OF TEMPERATE AND ALPINE SIKHIM. 99 



The Alpine Region. — This region extends from 10,000 feet to 

 19,000 feet, above which elevation plants of even the most humble 

 and degraded forms are altogether absent. The included tracts 

 are the Singalelah ranges and slopes of Kanchinjingna, the upper 

 levels of the Lachen and Lachung valleys, with their flanks, and the 

 Chola Range. 



The Singalelah Range and the slopes of Kanchinjingna. — The Sing- 

 alelah Range, forming the political boundary between Sikliim and 

 Nepal, springs from Kanchinjingna and extends southwards to the 

 plains of Bengal. The Nepal frontier road terminates at the staging 

 bungalow of Cheabhanjan, and from thence the only path available for 

 marching is the sheep j^ath running onwards to the grazing grounds 

 which lie towards Jongri. The only large trees existing in the 

 country travelled over are Ahies Wcbbiana, Junipenis pseiido-Salina, 

 and Juniperus recurva. The silver fir extends to 13,000 feet, the juni- 

 pers to 15,000 feet. Where the former is only a small, stunted, 

 weather-worn tree, the other, a prostrate, intricately branched shrub. 

 For many miles the path runs through woods of Rhododendron arboreuin, 

 R. cimiabarimmi, R. Falconeri, R. barbatum^ R. campaniilatiim, and 

 R. Hodgsoni, Acer caudatum, Betula uiiHs, Pieris ovalifolia, Prunus riifa 

 Pynis foliolosa, P. macrophylla, &c. Here also are seen the last 

 examples of the Bamboo tribe, Arundinaria spathiflora (so named 

 from the spathe-like sheaths on the divisions of its inflorescence), and 

 A. racc7nosa, not the large form so common at Tongloo and near 

 Darjeeling, but a small variety rarely exceeding a height of three 

 feet. The young culms of these bamboos are used as food by the 

 Bhutias and the Gurung shepherds of Nepal who frequent the whole 

 range with their flocks during summer. The upper limit of these 

 bamboos is 13,000 feet, from thence upwards only small tufted sj^ecies 

 of grasses abound. The shrubby vegetation already enumerated 

 grows so densely that few herbaceous plants can exist beneath it. 

 Beautifully green moss carpets the boulders, and Sazifraga ligukita, 

 Pofentilla, CUntonia, Polygonum, and two species of ferns are the 

 commonest plants. On open knolls, wliich occur but rarely, Gaultheria 

 nuimmdaria, small willows, and the heather-like Cassiope fastigiata 

 cover the ground with their dense growths. Towards the termination 

 of the range rhododendrons and other shrubs grow more sparsely, 

 thus favouring the existence of a greater variety of herbaceous plants. 

 Two remarkable gentians attract our notice : Gentiana stylophora, with 

 large, terminal, greenish-yellow, lily-like flowers, and Sivertia Hookeri, 

 conspicuous by its brown leaves and inflorescence growing together in 

 whorls on a stem often six feet high. Primroses become more abund- 

 ant, the prevalent species being the water-loving P. Silckimensis 

 and P. reticulata, and also those growing on dry ground, such as 



