China 2014

Pam travelled to Yunnan, China in the spring of 2014 to hunt for Primulas. Click image for more...

Dodecatheon or Primula? (Updated 2017)

"In my heart two things are true: shooting stars will always belong to Dodecatheon, and, regretfully, all of them are actually members of the genus Primula" - James Reveal   The research paper "Transfer of Dodecatheon to Primula (Primulaceae)" by Austin Mast and James Reveal...

Understanding Primula moupinensis ssp barkamensis

In 1990, C.M. Hu described a new subspecies of Primula moupinensis from Barkam Xian, Sichuan which differed from the species by its larger flowers to 2.5cm in diameter,  interior leaves with a rounded or slightly cordate base and petioles as long as the leaf blade. The original description...

The Tsari Valley

From where did the snow lion come? It came forth from the glaciers of Tsari. It brings joy to the world just by coming To show off its turquoise mane.   Tsari is one of three of the most important pilgrimages in Tibet and it is associated with the divinity Demchok and the mountain...

Herbariums

Type specimens are (usually) dried and pressed plants, mounted on paper, stored in a herbarium and used to describe a new species. Associated with the specimen are details of its collection including where it was collected, when and by whom. Being able to access herbarium specimens is key...