168 TONGLO. Chap. VII. 



yew, eighteen feet in circumference, the red bark of which 

 is used as a dye, and for staining the foreheads of Brahmins 

 in Nepal. An erect white-flowered rose (E. sericea, the 

 only species occurring in Southern Sikkim) was very abun- 

 dant : its numerous inodorous flowers are pendent, appa- 

 rent as a protection from the rain ■ and it is remarkable as 

 being the only species having four petals instead of five. 



A currant was common, always growing epiphytically on 

 the trunks of large trees. Two or three species of Berberry, 

 a cherry, Andromeda, Daphne, and maple, nearly complete, 

 I think, the list of woody plants. Amongst the herbs were 

 many of great interest, as a rhubarb, and Aconitum palmatum, 

 which yields one of the celebrated " Bikh" poisons.* Of 

 European genera I found Thalictrum, Anemone, Fumaria, 

 violets, Stellaria, Hypericum, two geraniums, balsams, 

 Fpilobium, Potentilla, Paris and Convallarice, one of the 

 latter has verticillate leaves, and its root also called "bikh," 

 is considered a very virulent poison. 



Still, the absence or rarity at this elevation of several very 

 large natural families,! which have* numerous representa- 

 tives at and much below the same level in the inner ranges, 

 and on the outer of the Western Himalaya, indicate a certain 

 peculiarity in Sikkim. On the other hand, certain tropical 

 genera are more abundant in the temperate zone of the Sik- 

 kim mountains, and ascend much higher there than in the 

 Western Himalaya : of this fact I have cited conspicuous 

 examples in the palms, plantains, and tree-ferns. This 



* "Bikh" is yielded by vaxious Aconita. All the Sikkim kinds are called 

 " gniong " by Lepchas and Bhoteeas, who do not distinguish them. The 

 A. Napellus is abundant in the north-west Himalaya, and is perhaps as virulent 

 a Bikh as any species. 



f Ranunculacece, Fumarice, Cruciferce, Alsinece, Geraniece, Legumiuosce, Potentilla, 

 Epilobium, Crassulacece, Saxifragece, Umbelliferce, Lonicera, Vulerianece, Dipsacece, 

 various genera of Composite, Campanulacece, Lobeliacece, Gent'ianece, Boraginece, 

 Srcophularinece, Primulacece, Grarninece. 



