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 called Takpa Shelri, (Pure Crystal Mountain), located at 28°35'58.90"N 93°13'35.44"E. Tradition bans hunting and cultivation in parts of the Tsari valley. There are two main pilgrimage circuits, the Tsari Rongkhor which starts in Chosum and Tsari Kyilkhor which is a lesser circuit around Takpa Shelri. This lesser (central) circuit was hiked by the plant explorers Bailey in 1913 and Sherriff in 1936. In 1998, a party led by Peter Cox made an expedition to the Tsari valley (limited to the north side) with an emphasis on hunting for Rhododendrons. No botanical exploration by Westerners has been done since because of political difficulties (this valley is close to the Indian border), but Chinese botanists have been here in the last 3 years.
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| Primula odontica in Tsari by Wu Zhikun |
Tsari is suddenly (within 25kms) a much wetter valley than those valleys immediately to the west and north and there are many marshy areas. This makes for great Primula habitat. The main valley along the Tsari Chu (river) has masses of P. alpicola (var. violacea), P. calderiana, and P. sikkimensis. In higher alpine areas, P. dickieana, P. tsariensis, P. dryadifolia, P. muscoides, P. rhodochora, P. hookeri, P. tenuiloba, P. munroi ssp yargongensis, P. atrodentata, P. glabra, P. macrophylla, P. prenantha and P. cawdoriana are found. Notably this area is the type location for P. jucunda, P. odontica, P. sandemaniana, P. ioessa and P. flabellifera. Most of these species are little known, but P. odontica was seen and photographed by Chinese botanist Wu Zhikun in 2013 (see in the Species Gallery). It resembles P. kingii and P. valentiniana but with leaves that are prominently toothed.
Primula ioessa remains a difficult plant to assess as it may be part of a continuum of variation with P. sikkimensis, being a dwarf version with pink flowers and dark black calyces. Certainly on the Bimbi La, Tsari, (one of the syntype locations) flower shape and color varies from deep and light pink, to salmon and yellow.
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| Variation of Primula ioessa on the Bimbi La |
For the Primula hunter, Tsari must be one of the most desirable locations to visit.
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| Location of Tsari valley (orange outline) |
References: Seeds of Adventure In Search of Plants by Peter Cox & Peter Hutchison, Tibet Handbook by Victor Chan, The Cult of Pure Crystal Mountain by Toni Huber.
There were in fact three trips to the Tsari area by western botanists in recent times. In 1998, I was on the trip, led by Kenneth Cox. We were denied access to the valley itself at the last minute, but were permitted access to the two passes running to the north, the Bimbi La and the Sur La. One of my most enduring memories is sitting in the middle of a vast meadow of P. sikkimensis and P. starriness, breathing in the perfume. Kenneth led a trip in 1999 that actually got into the valley, and Janet Cubey led a trip in 2000 that also gained access.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that information John. I was aware of the 1998 and 1999 trips but not the one from 2000. It is such an intriguing place.
DeleteHaHa the autocorrect has invented a new Primula. It should of course read tsariensis!
DeleteWell perhaps there should be a P. starriness ! ;)
ReplyDeleteWas the access denied due to the proximity to International border?
ReplyDeleteYes, Tsari is near the border and is usually restricted due to military presence.
DeleteLet's pack our bags and go!
ReplyDeleteI wish. Hard to find someone with enough pull to get us permission to go.
Delete