INTRODUCTION. 



The Strachey and Winterbottom collections, on which this Cata- 

 logue is based, were made between the years 1846-49 within the 

 province of Kumaon and in adjoining parts of Garhwal and Tibet. 

 This portion of the Western Himalaya is situated between the 

 Nepal frontier on the East and the Bhagirathi or Eastern branch 

 of the Ganges Elver on the West. Its area (excluding the Tibetan 

 portion) amounts approximately to 11,500 square miles. 



Very little was known regarding the flora of Kumaon until 

 about sixty years ago, when Lieut, (now Sir Eichard) Strachey 

 commenced his scientific survey of the mountain ranges westward 

 of Nepal, and afterwards, in 1848, undertook an extensive journey 

 with Mr. J. E. Winterbottom to the Eakas-tal and Manasowar 

 lakes in Tibet. It was on the latter occasion that a large pro- 

 portion of the plants contained in what is generally known as the 

 ' Strachey and Winterbottom Herbarium ' were collected. " The 

 collection," as Sir E. Strachey informs us, " was principally made 

 along a line extending through the province of Kumaon, across 

 the Himalaya in a direction generally perpendicular to that of 

 the ranges of mountain of which the chain consists, over a dis- 

 tance of some eighty or ninety English miles. The region 

 traversed passes from South- West to North-East, commencing in 

 the plain of Eohilkhand at an elevation of about 1,000 ft. above 

 the sea-level, through the snowy ranges, following for the most 

 part the customary routes, and terminating in the Tibetan plateau 

 at an altitude of between 14,000 and 15,000 ft. on the upper 

 course of the river Sutlej." i 



Sir E. Strachey acknowledges the great assistance he had 

 received in forming the collections from the late Colonel Madden, 

 who resided for many years at Almora, the chief town in Kumaon, 

 and has contributed to botanical literature several papers con- 

 taining accounts of his journeys in this province.^ He equally 



' A detailed account by Sir E.. Strachey of this very interesting j'ourney will 

 be found in the Joaru. E,. Geogr. Soc, vol. xv. (1900). See also a valuable paper 

 by Mr. W. B. Hemsley on " The Flora of Tibet or High Asia," published in 

 Journ. Linn. Soc. xxxv. (1902). 



'■' See especially " Brief Observations on some of the Pines and other Coniferous 

 Trees of the Northern Himalaya," in Journ. Agri. and Hort. Soc. of India, 

 vol. iv. (1845), and vol. vii. (1850). "The Turaee and Outer Mountains of 

 Kumaon," in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vol. xvii. (]8i8), and vol. xviii. (1849). 



