THE FLORA OF NORTH-WESTERN YUNNAN. 



207 



on the ledges of limestone cliffs and the stoniest situations on the 

 open slopes the beautiful Daphne aurantiaca. This is one of the 

 most free-flowering of all shrubs of North-West Yunnan. 



The cream of the flora, however, is on the alpine pastures and the 

 many and enormous screes which lie from 14,000 feet to the limit of 

 vegetation. There is seen a wealth of species, possibly equalled, but 

 nowhere surpassed, in any of the regions of Y'unnan hitherto explored. 

 Many more species of Primula are found, for this range alone pro- 

 duces fully forty ! Compositae are strongly represented, as well as 

 Ranunculaceae, Gentianaccae, Cruciferae, Campanulaceae, Saxifra- 

 gaceae, and Ericaceae, and many peculiar species of Rhododendron 

 occur. Of Primulas, all of which are meadow plants, there are P. 

 pseudo-sikkiinen sis (fig. 78), P. secundiflora (fig. 78), P. sinopurpurea , 

 P. pinnatifida (fig. 78) , P. sonchifolia, P. brevifolia, P. incisa, P. graci- 

 lenta, P. florida, P. Giraldiana, P. calliantha, and the wonderful P. 

 dryadifolia Fr. As the specific name implies, the last has foliage 

 similar in form to that of Dryas, bright green above, the under-surface 

 heavily coated with a dense sulphur -tinted farina. The flowers are 

 produced freely, are of large size, on short stout scapes of 2 inches, 

 two or three blooms to each, in colour bright rose-lake with an orange 

 eye ; the bracts large and deep purplish-crimson. The species forms 

 cushions 2 feet or more across, and grows in the most barren exposed 

 places on limestone rubble and screes at 16,000 to 16,500 feet altitude. 

 It is the last Primula met with in those parts (fig. 79) . 



Of Compositae, there are many fine Lactucas, all scree plants, such 

 as Laciuca Souliei, with ruddy brown foliage and brilliant blue flowers. 

 Crepis rosnlaris, with deep golden heads, and C. umbrella with larger 

 and lighter-coloured ones, are also scree plants of similar habit. 

 CremantJiGdium is another genus represented by a number of beautiful 

 forms, the finest being C. nobile, with golden-yellow fragrant 

 blooms 3 to 4 inches in diameter. C. campanulatum has dull deep 

 crimson flowers, whilst those of C. rhodocephalum are grey-pink and 

 rose. Of Asters the finest is a half-shrubby species, Aster statici- 

 foliits Fr., the ray florets of which are bright purplish-blue, with 

 orange-coloured disc florets. Each head is almost two inches across, 

 and I have counted as many as 300 on one plant ! It is a rock plant. 

 A. Delavayi is another fine, but biennial, species, with very large 

 flower-heads. A. brackytrichus is a woodland species, with very richly 

 coloured blooms ; and on the highest alps is found the beautiful 

 dark-flowered dwarf, Aster lichiangensis. Saussureas are legion. 

 Many of them are very beautiful, but the most interesting are Saus- 

 surea gossypiphora and 5. leucoma. Both are alpines, and armed in 

 like manner against the rigorous Yunnan winters they have to endure 

 at those extreme altitudes, the plants being smothered in masses of 

 glistening cottony down. 5. leucoma, the smaller of the two, is found 

 at the lower altitudes, where less protection is necessary, and it is the 

 less cottony ; but 5. gossypiphora grows at the highest altitudes, 

 and, at a short distance, individual plants resemble balls of greyish- 



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