REPORT ON A BOTANICAL TOUR IN SIKKIM, iSg2. 
7 
nohile. Myriads of blue Gentians unfolded in the brief glimpse of 
sunshine we enjoyed, and Allardza glabra grtw in low dense tufts, 
bearing large sessile flowers with yellow disks and purple rays 
1 he musk scented Delplitnum glaciate ascends to 17,500 feet 
accompanied by Aconitum Napellus reduced in size to a small plant 
with two or three leaves bearing but one short pedicelled flower. 
Other plants wmre Ranunculus Icstus^ Cyananthus of two species, 
the Edelweiss {Leant opodium alpinum)^ Erigeron, Cremanthodium 
reniforme^ Lactuca Dubyoea; Crepis glomerata^ Saussurea, and the 
curious lichen-like Antennaria muscoides. Rhododendron nivale 
and Ephedra vulgaris were the only woody piajits. The -feature of 
the vegetation from 17,000 feet upwards, is the prevalence of plants 
growing in dense hard hemspheriC tufts such as. Saxifraga^ 
Saussurea, Astragalus^ and Myosotis Hookeri. The last steep ascent 
to the pass 18,100 feet elevation, is devoid of vegetation. The view 
across Cholamoo to the Kambajong mountains was clear and we 
were able to appreciate fully the graphic account of this wonderful 
region which Sir J. D. Hooker gives in such perfect detail. 
My orders forbade the crossing of the Donkia, so I returned to 
Momay in the evening through a blinding storm of snow and rain. 
As I w’as anxious to penetrate to the Lachen Valley through the 
Sebo La, I waited at Momay for a week in order to obtain good 
weather for the attempt, but the cold south wind drove a thick mist 
and drizzling rain without intermission, and I was compelled to 
relinquish the idea. One day I went eastwards to the great glacier 
of Kinchinjhow. Passing the hot springs noted by Sir J. D. Hooker, 
and climbing to the crest of the terminal moraine, we walked along 
the top of a lateral one leading far into the snowy billowy mass of 
the glacier. I was surprised to find many plants flourishing in such 
a bleak place. Eriophyton ktrnaiaicum was common. It is a white 
woolly Labiate with bright blue flowers peeping from under the 
leaves ; I have never observed it but on dry sandy slopes. The 
other plants were a minute Saxifraga with extensive runners, a small 
Gentian, Pedicularis of three species, Festuca and Car ex ^ 
Rhododendron nivale was dead and withered, having probably been 
killed by the severity of the previous winter, but, strange to say, 
Potentilla fruticosa, in its largest and most developed form, and not 
the creeping variety we should expect to find here, was covered 
with flowers and foliage and was as much at home amongst ice and 
snow as it is at the more temperate elevation of 10,000 feet. From 
Momay Samdong I returned to Yeumtong and halted there a few 
days. I ascended to the glacier on the opposite side, which Sir J. D, 
Hooker failed to reach through the gorge. Now-a-days there is a 
cattle track leading to the high pastures, so that progress is easy. 
