China (Yunnan) - a Plant-Hunter's Paradise

China (Yunnan) - A Plant-hunter's Paradise

Naturetrek Tour Report 7 - 25 June 2006

Report compiled by John Shipton

Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0)1962 733051 F: +44 (0)1962 736426 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report China (Yunnan) - A Plant-hunter's Paradise

Tour Leader John Shipton

Tour participants: John & Margaret Sullivan Liz Buchanan Keith Sweetman Joan Bratley John and Penny Williams Wouter Kroumhout Klaas Verboom Peter Shipton

The trip was a great success and I think everyone enjoyed themselves although unfortunately Keith had to leave us half way through. As I knew from past trips the plants were spectacular. We came across most of the herbaceous highlights from before and discovered many new things. However with Klaas and Wout we were able to delve deeply into trees and shrubs with their vast knowledge as nurserymen of woody plants in Holland. Their experience and enthusiasm added a whole dimension to the trip. The country of NWYunnan is fabulous and can’t fail to impress, and the cultural background also unsurpassable, as we passed through a kaleidoscope of ethnic peoples, from the Naxi, to the Moslem Hui, to the Yi people before entering Kham Tibet . Jason and Amy and Haiwei Trails provided flawless logistics, and our staff, who of course made it all happen, were fantastic. Our guide was Tsebo born to a nomadic family in Amdo Tibet, and self educated to an astonishing degree. He is always great company and the perfect guide especially in introducing Tibetan culture. Our three drivers were also great company, and even more importantly brilliant drivers on the astonishing roads of NW Yunnan. They were Xiao Atong and Da Atong, (both half Naxi half Tibetan- I had been driven by Xiao Atong before) and the fabulous Nombu (Tibetan) who I had trekked with two years before. For our camps we had Shuinon also Tibetan from Geza who I had also trekked with. His ability to produce cordon bleu food on a camp fire must by now be legendary.

Finally we were extremely lucky with the weather, so many thanks to whoever organised it.

Day 1 Wednesday 7th June

Meet at Heathrow (except Peter and Liz) and a very comfortable Thai Air flight to Bangkok. Plenty of room and great service.

Day 2 Thursday 8th June

Arrive Bangkok at 6 am and find day rooms where we sleep for four hours. We don’t have to change terminals as rumoured by the office, and find Peter (with a sling, having wrenched his arm) at the Kunming gate. Flight to Kunming with two hour stop at Chiang Mai where the long flight takes its toll on Joan but she recovers quickly. Met by Jason at Kunming and bus to Harbour Plaza, a huge modern hotel in the centre. It’s raining heavily as we go for the group’s introduction to Yunnan food at a local restaurant. Then a few of us have a beer at the French Café.

Day 3 Friday 9th June

We have time before the flight to walk to Mandarin books to grab as many plant books as they can provide. Still pouring with rain. 40 minutes back to the airport and Jason leaves us as we take flight to Lijiang. Met at Lijiang by Tsebu and a bus takes us round the town to the north to the village of Yuhu. It is wonderful to be free of airports and breathing country air in this delightful Naxi village. Tourism starting to grow hence our guest house (Nguluko) which is simply a typical Naxi courtyard with rooms made over to us. The only negative, as is usual in China, is the toilets (here round the back of the garden and with a healthy population of frolicking leeches), After home cooked lunch and looking round Joseph Rock’s preserved Naxi house (I’ve always felt rather dubious towards this Austrian American) we make our first foray in the field. Klaas and Wout are identifying hedgerow plants before we even leave the village, Xanthophllum, Pyrocanthus and Spiraea etc. As we start across pasture towards the hills we have our first Arisaemas, Leontipodium, Stellera anemone and Asters. As we get to the hills by some substantial Naxi graves, Klaas and Walt get involved in the profusion of shrubs growing together, Cotoneaster, Eleagnus, Acer, Viburnum etc before we have to turn back for supper.

Day 4 Saturday 10th June

It rains all night so in the morning only half of us go for the planned walk back to the hills. However it soon brightens and as we cross the pasture we have our first Roscoe, and as we enter the low tree on the hillside our first Rhododendron, the ubiquitous R. decorum. As well as all the shrubs we find lots of delicacies such as the tiny pink fl Polgonatum pratii and the little bulb Ophiopogon in flower. After casting off a few leeches that have accrued in the rain we have lunch and then head into Lijiang. Our bags have to be ported into the centre, as it is traffic free, to our hotel Lijiang Jiquanhui, close to market square. We then wander the town independently. Lijiang has been transformed into a strange sort of Chinese tourist Disneyland in the same way perhaps as our own tourist towns (Tenby my local example perhaps). If that’s taken on board it’s a pleasant experience. Some of us climb to Wangu Tower the new Pagoda overlooking the town and surrounding country. Tsebu takes us to great restaurant outside the tower, and afterwards some of us repair to a bar on the “famous” bar street, frequented by hordes of wealthy middle classes from Beijing and Shanghai. Coincidentally England and Paraguay are playing on the telly. (The world Cup is very popular in China)

Day 5 Sunday 11th June

Tsebu takes us for an “English” breakfast. Actually prepared by a Frenchman and very ponderous. Tea is woefully neglected! Meet our three 4x4’s and drive out of Lijiang (Nombu’s place taken temporarily by Dashi). Klaas and Wout are in the lead and we soon stop as they spot something, in this instance a Castania henryi and Viburnum calvum, but we also find more Roscoe and Arisaemas to delight all. Stop at Qiaotou to pick up some provisions and fuel before reaching Tiger leaping Gorge. This of course is impressive despite tourist trappings. Have lunch at a small house just beyond and now out of the tourist circuit. Head on down the Yangtse valley. After a stop to gaze across the valley and at the people planting rice we head out of the valley and up towards Haba. Two great plant stops. Klaas and Wout point out the Quercus and Viburnum and others, but here we also find Rodgersia, banks of yellow Salvia and the first Iris ruthenica. Leave the new asphalt road and soon get lost in Haba before finding our guest house. Again this is simply a family courtyard made over to us. Haba is a Hui village. The Hui are Moslems still very relaxed in religion despite the Shia Moslems from Iran who have apparently been trying to get them straight. It is a wonderful place to stay (as usual the “toilet” is the only

2 © Naturetrek July 06 China (Yunnan) - A Plant-hunter's Paradise Tour Report difficulty). The shower is fed by a boiler heated by wood but not all of us indulge. A fine meal coked by the family.

Day 6 Monday 12th June

After breakfast (the group start to come to terms with a different concept but we have our own tea and honey) we walk up towards Haba mountain first towards the neighbouring Yi village. Again Klaas and Wout lead with the trees, Tsuga, Abies picaea and Pinus and shrubs Berberis, Cornus hippophae etc. We soon find our first stands of Primula poisonii and the orchid Calanthe. After a picnic we enter the Yi village. The women wear spectacular clothes even while working. They are also very friendly and we all have fun helping them thresh their wheat. Joan goes back to Haba with our old host and we carry on into the meadows above the village. More wonderful trees and shrubs, Klaas’s highlight is Dipelta yunnanensis. We turn at a beautiful pond full of P. poisonii and the falling red petals of a parasitic mistletoe that appears all over this country. Get back to Haba at about 6 for another family meal.

Day 7 Tuesday 13th June

Drive over the col above Haba, and stop for some spectacular Cornus capitata in flower. After several plant stops to view the increasing Rhododendron yunnanensi etc we stop for lunch at Julong village. By the side of the road is a flowering branch of R. wardii which excites us but no sign of the tree itself. A wander hear before lunch and then heading over the high pass that leads onto the Zhongdian plateau. Here we stop for our first Incarvillea ( here I.mairei) The azalea like Rhododendron R. russatum (or R.impeditum) is in profusion with masses of Incarvillea and Iris bulleyana and with our first pink Androsace as ground cover. Soon after the pass I spot the first stand of Primula sikimensis and P. secundiflora and so we have to stop. Of course the stop reveals much else including Nomocharis, Podophyllum and Lilium. Jason has added a nice touch by getting some friend’s of Atong’s to invite us for tea. We drive off the road and enter our first huge Zhongdien Tibetan house where we sit round the stove, drink yak butter tea and eat tsampa. Arrive in Zhongdian and Songtsam hotel by Songtsam monastery. Luxurious comfort and great meal enjoyed by all after rigours of Haba. I go down to Jason’s bar and meet Alison amongst other. She’s happening to be leading another plant group.

Day 8 Wednesday 14th June

First we all go round the Songtsam monastery. Tsebu gives us an intimately felt tour, and we accidentally stumble on a very special initiation ceremony in a bank shrine. We make a short trip north to the northern end of Napha “lake” just below what I called Nixi La but properly Aila Si La (which leads down to the Yangtse) to walk around the northern rim, something I first did five years ago. Happily little has changed since then except a rather ugly pretentious building has been put on a site where we found a lot of plant material. Ironically this is supposed to be some sort of botanical research institute. As soon as we get off the road we find the scarlet Androsace bulleyana and lots of the blue poppy Meconopsis horridula (syn M. pratii), and many other plants in a delightful natural rock garden. It is a lovely walk around the rim with herds of horses, and pigs. After a picnic lunch we carry on with botanical delights at head height on the banks above. The fields of Cyprepedium are still there to the delight of john S. Rather than walk back we mobile the boys to pick us up further round the lake, a long off road drive for them but it allows us to walk round Napha village and passed a pink sea of Primula secundiflora and Pedicularis. Back to town, the interesting market and supper at Jason’s bar.

Day 9 Thursday 15th June

Drive 40 mins south of town along super new highway (dirt road when I came five years ago), then turn east towards the hidden Tien Bao Shan. Drive up a dirt road passed a small monastery and up a beautiful valley. Glorious plants require frequent stops, along a stream filled with Primula. A little higher we find a large population of a tall white one which is new to me, and I think must be P. ingens from our Chinese books. We stop for a special Jason “Joseph Rock” style lunch also in honour of john and penny’s 36th wedding anniversary. In a meadow filled with Primulas looking up a side valley dominated by a fantastic limestone crag. After a wander amongst the Podophyllums and Primulas we dine at a table under an awning with a feast with red and white wine. Bemused Tibetan shepherds wander passed. After lunch we walk up the valley towards the crag, passed more finds including one Meconopsis delavayi. When we come to a paradisiacal meadow with a nomad family encamped we see a splash of yellow on the tree line high up. With binos we see it’s Rhododendron wardii. Just when I was preparing to climb the hill we come across a whole first a magnificent specimen by the stream then a whole grove of R. wardii in full flower. A fitting end to the day. Supper at A Thong’s Hot Pot bar followed by an enormous Wedding anniversary cake prepared by Amy for john and Penny at the Raven .

Day 10 Friday 16th June

Packing and leaving the Songtsam hotel we drive north east of Zhongdian to Shudu lake. The road however is blocked to Shudu, and it takes Atong and the others some time to persuade the man at the barrier that we don’t actually want to got to Shudu itself. He lets us through and we’re driven into a meadow and set off to walk over a little pass to Geza, while the boys take the bags and Joan round by road, and rescue Nombu’s broken vehicle. A lovely walk up to the pass. We have lunch at a little glade with pigs overlooking Shudu. Lots of plants on the way of course. At the pass we are greeted first by our first Meconpsis integrifolia (not the pseudo!), one amazingly attended by a Mandrake, and also by a nomad lady who invites us all into her tent for butter tea. The tent is surrounded by a blue haze of Rhododendron impeditum. There follows a gentle descent down a stream all the way to Geza, numerous shrubs and plants including a small stand of a bright red Primula, a cowslip form but very different from P. secundiflora and which we’ve yet to key. We walk into Geza to the amusement of the population and then picked up by the boys and taken to Shuinon’s house. Great to see Shuinon again. His house is the classic Gyalthang style and we camp outside in a field, and I think I compromise everyone to the idea of a mattock and earth hole special. Tents a bit of a novelty to Wout and Klaas, but they’ll get used to it. Meal cooked by Shuinon and his wife aided by grand daughter aged 1 and a half.

Day 11 Saturday 17th June

Everyone’s getting used the full Tibetan breakfast, but tea honey and marmite help, Liz’s vegemite has thankfully disappeared. Head down valley through the main part of Geza then turn right up a side valley towards Xiao Xue Shan La, Little Snow mountain Pass. At 400m wonderful views toward Da Xue Shan, Big Snow Mountain, limestone crags and lots more stunning geology. Descend to Weng Shui village where we have an empty new hotel. Rooms, around a sweltering greenhouse, are en suite without water although there is abundant water outside and in all the other taps, classic Chinese. After lunch we walk up the Birong Gorge soon to be a Chinese tourist lodestone. An impressive limestone gorge and very beautiful, thankfully still empty of tourists. Not spectacular botanically, although there are some Acer, Cornus etc to excite Klaas and Wout. We do find Incarvillea lutea near the sewage dump outside the hotel however.

4 © Naturetrek July 06 China (Yunnan) - A Plant-hunter's Paradise Tour Report

Day 12 Sunday 18th June

Drive up to Da Xue shan La at 4300m. Flanked by tons of Rhododendron wardii in flower mixed with R yunnanense. Strong wind at the top but we’re immediately met by lots of exciting finds. I get Joan to her first yellow Meconopsis (M pseudointegrifolia this time), then John S finds the wonderful silky Meconopsis lancifolia followed soon after by Lloydia delavayi. Finds follow thick and fast as we work our way up to the little summit above the pass. Klaas particularly in transport on being surrounded by acres of Rhododendron roxianum in flower. After taking our fill we drive a little way north of the la for lunch in a meadow on the official Sichuan border. Again full of plants including a large buttercup that proves to be Trollius yunnanensis. Back over the pass and to the hotel. In the evening our supper is followed by an inrush of local girls and women who set up a sound system, Chinese rock and roll regale themselves and us a fantastic fusion dancing (all girls and Liz, the boys merely look on).

Day 13 Monday 19th June

A really full Tibetan breakfast much appreciated by John W, of tsampa and butter tea. We drive back to Zhongdian. A long drive but after buying honey from an apiary just outside town we arrive in the centre for lunch, at a place serving “western” food. Pizzas and burghers much appreciated after a couple of weeks. Back surprisingly to the Songtsam Hotel and then we drive north a few kilometres to what I call my magic valley off Napha Hai (though there are probably many such), a little walk up a small limestone gorge. Unfortunately this year there must have been much less rain as the stream is dry. Also there is evidence that cattle had been through, so my Disneyland spectacular of Primula and Pedicularis was not there, however it is still delightful and some wonderful stands of Androsace zambelensis and P. poisonii. We have a plant count after supper at the hotel and I go off to see Jason at the Raven.

Day 14 Tuesday 20th June

Set off over Nixi La and down off the plateau to the Yangtze, pausing briefly above Nixi village and their very impractical dark pottery. By the river it is sweltering of course. Have a great lunch in Pontselang, before heading up towards

Baima. Stopping of course at classic picture stop of Yangtze meander. We pass the main Dongzhulin monastery, but stop at Shousum village to walk up to the nunnery on the old site of the monastery. A lovely walk up through terraced fields and passed lots of activity in them. After visit inside climb to prayer drum wheel above with clear views of Balur Gunzum mountain to the east. Drive on towards the pass and stop at the little orphan school for Tibetans, set up and run by Tibetan monks. One of the main people raising money for this school is Uttara Crees. The children were in the middle of a Tibetan lesson and now have sound buildings at least. The weather still looks good so we decide to make for the higher camp Jason had recced. This is just at the top of the first pass and the boys take the vehicles down the slightly hairy track to it while we walk. The government had built an ugly building on a flat piece of ground to “enhance” tourism. Now deserted it is broken and smashed. Despite this it is a fine camp with swathes of R. roxianum to delight Klaas with even some recognisable vars eg var orenastis. Above the two extraordinary hills, one vibrant red sandstone, the other silver limestone tinged with bright orange ferrous oxide. Boys light a fire in the shed and Shuinon cooks one of his

© Naturetrek July 06 5 China (Yunnan) - A Plant-hunter's Paradise Tour Report cordon bleu specials for dinner with wine and beer. Our merriment is briefly interrupted by the forestry official wondering what we’re doing. But all is well and a fabulous night sky.

Day 15 Wednesday 21st June

The morning brings cloud and we lose views of most of Baima Shan but there are patches of blue. Shuinon produces omelettes and we set off down hill away from the road towards the valleys below the mountain. We walk through Cypressus and Abies woodland with of course the rhododendron and Klaas reckons we lose the R roxianum at a certain level. True the foliage stats getting browner, thicker indumentum but I’m not entirely convinced. Plenty of herbaceous and shrubs although the country is well grazed. The nomads seem to have come up much earlier this year to the detriment of the flora. We visit a tent at the bottom of the valley and are amazed by the gentleness of the two men, and the simplicity of their accommodation and tools, most of which are hand made with virtually no metal or other modern aids. We climb back up to the road, and Joan is fantastic to get up under her own steam. Picked up by the boys and we cruise round to Baima La proper. I lead most of us onto the mountain side where I had foraged before. Unfortunately the whole area was being well grazed by cattle. We did find a Fritillary “of the F. cirrhosa persuasion” and a Pleione, both growing in the protection of prickly shrubs. Then it’s down into the Mekong watershed and to Deqen. We don’t stop in the town but cruise through to Failai Si 5km beyond, the view point towards Kawakarpo. A new hotel has been built with fabulous views over the mountain. Clouds are beginning to lift and we can see the whole range from our windows. I find myself watching England v Sweden on the telly whilst the holy mountain slowly reveals itself. An indifferent supper in the hotel, the food and cook far inferior to Shuinon’s camp side creations. The weather clears and we get night views of the whole range

Day 16 Thursday 22nd June

Clear at 7.30 with daylight views of Kawakarpo. After a not even Tibetan breakfast we pass through Deqen and everyone does a little shopping in this vibrant little town. Liz makes a special hit when she is dressed in full local costume by a gang of women, and she’s applauded all the way down the street. Take the south road traversing above the Mekong. Great views of the meanders before arriving at Yuin Ling for lunch , a good lunch until we’re all fumigated out of the place by some over vigorous chilly stir fry. Back track up the road and then turn off for a vertiginous ascent up terrifying dirt road switch backs up the side of the mountain looking thousands of feet down. Eventually reach a chorten and look into the magical little valley of Hong Po. Drive through the village to the monastery which has the markers to indicate its frontier status being at the edge of Kham Tibet. The monks incredibly kindly let us camp within the Gompa. We are given their little debating garden to camp in and we are watched by fascinated monks as we set up camp. The boys are given a kitchen to cook in and sleep outside the main shrine. Most of us then walk up the valley getting wonderful little glimpses of Mantsomo the southerly peak of Kawarkapo and representing the female consort. It’s a very hot walk as the weather is clear and we’re only at about 2800m. Not a great deal by way of plants. The ground is well grazed and it is much drier on the east side of Baima Shan. We do find a chewed Daphne bholua which is interesting but a nice walk anyway before returning to the Gompa. On the way back some of us are invited for tea in one of the classic houses slightly smaller than the Gyalthang ones, but impressively filled with bamboo spears and a shrine. Shuinon again produces lots of grade A dishes, and we down both wine and beer and become perhaps a little over raucous for our monastic surroundings, but the monks have all disappeared somewhere.

Day 17 Friday 23rd June

Drums and chants wake us before dawn with a cuckoo. We get up a little earlier than usual and make our departure from the monks. I leave what I hope is an adequate donation for their fantastic hospitality. The descent less harrowing then straight back through Deqen, over baima La before taking the old road down the other side. Here we make several stops as we spot a small outcrop of Lilium lophophoron then masses of the great Megacodon stylophorus all in flower. Beside it is the intriguing Veratrilla baillonii which so far I chaven’t found any reference to in cultivation. Each stop produces more plants just as I had experienced previously. Finally we come across two great stands of Peonia lutea in flower. Finally a late lunch at Pontselang again. We arrive back in Zhongdian at a reasonable hour despite a traffic incident. This time we’re staying in the gyalthang Dzong much changed since I was here in Uttara’s day. I make a ceremony of our thanks to the boys for a great trip. On bringing back some books from the Raven we have a luxurious supper befitting the Panchen Lama perhaps.

Day 18 Saturday 24th June

Collected dead on time by the Atongs and taken to the airport and our farewells. Fly to Kunming, leave luggage in office and hire three taxis to the centre. We don’t have much time so base ourselves at the French cafe where we can go to the book shop. Then it’s taxis back to the airport for Bangkok flight (no airport tax). We’re a bit uncertain how to proceed at Bangkok and Liz leaves us hoping to meet us for our meal in town. However we find we must check in after we’ve done immigration. Outside Peter’s son James of the British Council meets us as he was keen to meet me as a possible relation. He nearly arranged for us to be met by one of the Crown Princesses of Thailand who is keen on plants but it didn’t quite work out. However we hire a minibus and James directs us to a place he recommends. We have a great evening complete with dancing girls and a strange combination of dishes, sadly without Liz. Minibus awaits and we head back to the airport for a much fuller flight back to London.

Day 19 Sunday 25th June

Arrive Heathrow safe and sound.

Plant list

List far from concise and in general order of observation

. Yuhu day 1 Abies spp Zanthoxylum piperitum Tsuga spp Clerodendrum bungei Picaea lijiangensis spp balfouriana Pyrocantha chrenostygma Populus laserocarpa Rubus tricolour Primula poisonii Arisaema consanguineum Calanthe tricarinata Leontipodium spp Arisaema elephas Gagea spp Pinus yunnanensis Pinus delavayi Stellera chaemaejasme Philadelphus subcanus Senecio spp Acer candatum Picaea lijiangensis Mimulus tenulus var platyphyllus Aster yunnanensis Viburnum betulifolium Above Yi Village Elaeagnus spp Lonicera henryi Cotoneaster sterniana Lonicera cilliata Lyonia ovalifolia Tilia spp Hypericum fforestii Deutzia glomeriflora Paris polyphlla Parasitic red fl plant on many species Primula poisonii Yuhu Day2 Prunus serula Spiraea himalayica Dipelta yunnanensis Ophiopogon intermedius Catalpa spp Haba to Zhongdian Day 5 Acer capadocica Cornus capitata Roscoe tibetica Aralia sinensis Rhododendron decorum Stachyurus spp Epimedium spp Legustrum sp Coryllus ferox A woody Aster Polygonatum pratii Cornus walteri Anemone davidii Unknown Primula maroon open dense shade Spiraea schneideriana From Lijiang to Haba Day 3 1st stop (Beyond Julong) Castania henryi (Rhododendron wardii one branch) Viburnum calvum Androsace delavayi Lyonia ovalifolia Rhododendron russatum Roscoe tibetica Incarvillea mairei Clematis Montana Iris bulleyana Rosa lijiangensis (After pass) Arisaema conasnaguineum Primula secundiflora Primula sikkimensis Tiger leaping Gorge Nomocharis forestii Elwesia spp Juniper sinensis Bauhenia spp Podophyllum hexandrum Lilium lophoporon

Below Haba Napha lake day 6 Quercus dentata Rosa serecea Viburnum cylindricum Incarvillea zhingdianensis Rhododendron decorum Meconopsis horridula ( M. pratii) Lonicera nitida Campanula cremate Pleione spp Euphorbia yunnanensis Quercus pseudocarpinifolia Ligularia lankongensis Rodgersia aesculifolia Crataegus pedicelum Euonymus spp Androsace zambelensis Salvia flava Schisandra rubriflora Iris ruthenica Androsace bulleyana Sambucus spp Haba Day4 Heracleum candicans Hippophae rhamnoines Lonicera ciliate Berberis wilsonii Cypropedium tibeticum

Cypropedium flavus Incarvillea lutea Rodgersia aescilifolia Ophiopogon intermedius Podophyllum hexandrum Aquilegia rockii Aster soulei Dipelta yunnanensis Aster yunnanensis Meconopsis horridula Corydalis flexuosa Cornus contaverta Lysimachia spp Arisaema elephas Primula secundiflora (10 acres) Syringa purple spp Menyanthes trifoliate Deutzia rehderiana Pedicularis spp (several) White fl Potentilla shrub Convallaria spp Tien Bao Shan Day 7 Potentilla fruticosa Big Snow mountain Day 10 Piptanthus nepalensis Onway up Lonicera ciliate Rhododendron yunnanensis Polygonatum vercilliatum R.wardii Morina nepalensis Pass Satyrium ciliatum Meconopsis pseudointegrifolia Primula secundiflorum Rhododendron roxieanum P.sikkimensia Cremanthodium campanulatum Ligularia nelumbifolia Meconopsis lancifolia Myricaria paniculata Pedicularis spp Primula ingens Lloydia delavayi Iris bulleyana Megacarpaea delavayi Megacodon stylophorus Cassipe selaginoides Polypodium hexandrum Primula deflexa Abies delavayi Arenaria oreophila Acer flavolatum Rhododendron primulaeflora Betula albosinensis Lunch below Juniper recurva Trollius yunnanensis Meconopsis delavayi Rhododendron phaeochrysum Rhododendron wardii Berberis jamesonii

Lake Shudu to Geza day 8 From Wengshiui to Zhongdian day 11 Oxygraphis glacialis Rhododendron wardii Daphne spp Acer capadocica var sinensis Gentianella spp Rhododendron cephalanthum Corydalis curviflora Magic Valley Podophllum hexandrum Large leaved possible Gentianaceae Smilicin spp Angelica spp Androsace delavayi Thalictrum delavayi Convallaria spp T. delavayi albiflorus Larix potenini Meconopsis horridula Rhododendron achenyphyllum ? (with indumentum) Daphne calcicola Meconopsis integrifolia Salvis flava Mandrogora caulescens Primula poisonii Rhododendron impeditum Trollius yunnanensis R fastiginatum Pediculari rhinanthoides Primula sinopurpurea 3’ Primula sikkimensis P. polyneura Aster soulei RED Primula pseudo cowsip wide denticulate foliage Berberis dawoensis Zhongdian to Baima day 12 Abies spp Below nixi Betula albosinensis Rosa serecea Aquilegia rockii Rosa rubis Rhododendron williamsianum Incarvillea yunnanensis Deutzia rehderiana Acer davidii After Pontselung Fritillaria cirrhosa Peonia lutea Rhoddendron chryseum Geza to Wengshui Day 9 R.russatum Peonia lutea R.wardii Encianthus spp Clematis montana in Abies Lonicera markii At camp Rhododendron roxieanum (Birong Gorge) R. roxieanum var oreonastes Philadelphus subcanus Lloydia delavayi Acer davidii

Baima Shan Day13 Omphalogamma soulei Berberis dawoensis New spiraea Rhododendron (pseudo R roxieanum tree like heavy brown indumentum) Cypressus sinensis Sorbus spp (glossy leaves) Abies spp var glauca Lamiophlomis rotate stands unknown pink Primula Geranium lambertii Meconopsis pseudointegrifolia Frtillaria cirrhosa Pale yellow hieraceum Pleione yunnanensis

Hang Po Day 14 Daphne bholua

Descent to Yangtse Day 15 Lilium lophophoron Megacodon stylophorus Veratrill baillonii Bergenia purpurescens Rhododendron calostrotum Draba yunnanensis Fritillaria cirrhosa Peonia lutea