Yunnan     May 26th to June 12th  2012

 

Yunnan lies in the south-west of China and borders Vietnam, Laos, Burma and Tibet.  We visited the north-western part of Yunnan province which is Tibetan and was once part of the ancient Tibetian province of Kham.  This dramatic area has three rivers - the Yangtse, the Mekong and the Salween - emerge from the heart of Tibet and cut their way through 6000m mountains on their way to the sea.

This Naturetrek trip to Yunnan was titled 'A Plant-hunters Paradise'.  It was in the early 20th century that the intrepid plant hunters Ernest Wilson, George Forrest and Frank Kingdon-Ward found many of our classic garden plants which adorn our gardens and parks to-day.

Here are my photographs of the wildlife we saw.  As our aim was to concentrate on plant life I have started with them and added at the end 'Other Wildlife'.

 

Details and photographs taken on the route may be seen by clicking HERE

I have tried as a general rule to follow the order found in 'A Guide to the Flowers of Western China' by Grey-Wilson and Cribb.

           

            Page One    - Nelumboaceae to Solms-laubachia

            Page Two    - Ericacae to Saxifraga

            Page Three - Legumnosae to Rubiaceae

             Page Four   - Caprifoliaceae - Oreorchis

Plants of South West China

RHODODENDRON

Rhododendron hippophaeoides

Rhododendron decorum

Rhododendron primuliflorum

Rhododendron wardii

Other species of Rhododendron seen.

   

 

 

PIERIS

Pieris formosa

CASSIOPE

Cassiope selaginoides

 

DIAPENSIACEAE

DIAPENSIA

Diapensia purpurea

 

PRIMULACEAE

PRIMULA

Primula soongii

Primula sikkimensis

 

Primula secundifolia

 

Primula deflexa

Primula chungensis probably

 

Primula zambalensis

Primula involucrata

 

Primula minor probably

Primula amethystina

 

Primula bulleyana subsp. bulleyana

 

Primula bulleyana subsp. beesiana

 

Primula chionantha

 

Primula chionantha subsp. sinopurpurea

 

Primula forrestii

 

Primula nanobella

 

Primula poissonii

 

Primula sonchifolia

Primula russeola

OMPHALOGRAMMA

Omphalogamma vinciflora

 

ANDROSACE

Androcace limprichtii

Androcace biscula

Androcace bulleyana

Androcace rigida

Androcace sp.

   

ROSACEAE

PRUNUS

Prunus cerasus

 

RUBUS

Rubus thibetanus

   

SORBUS

Sorbus discolor

 

2 Crataegus chungtienensis

OSTEOMELES

Osteomeles schwerinae

PYRACANTHA

Pyracantha crenulata

COTONEASTER

Cotoneaster sp.

MALUS

Malus sp.

ROSA

Rosa serica

FRAGARIA

Fragaria nilgherrensis

 

SANGUISORBA

Sanguisorba filiformis

 

POTENTILLA

Potentilla sp.

 

Potentilla sp.

Potentilla sp.

Potentilla sp.

SPIRAEA

Spirea sp.

 

Spirea sp.

CRASSULACEAE

SEDUM

Sedum sp.

RHODIOLA

Rhodiola sp.

Rhodiola sp.

 

Rhodiola sp.

SAXIFRAACEAE

PHILADELPHUS

Philadelphus purpurascens

   

DEUTZIA

Deutzia monbeigii probably

 

ITEA

Itea yunnanensis

CHRYSOSPLENIUM

Chrysosplenium sp.

 

SAXIFRAGA

Saxifraga rufescens probably

Saxifraga sp.