A 2 week impulse trip to Yunnan

[Maggi Young]

The legum. could be Chesneya nubigena...  ("Plants of Himalaya and chinese mountains" by Cedric Basset)

Thanks, that looks close, but checking thru Harry Jans' gallery there's also Spongiocarpella yunnanensis, which also looks close Like Maggi, I have a hard time telling one yellow pea from the other...

 From IPNI:
Leguminosae Spongiocarpella yunnanensis Yakovlev
Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 72(2): 256. 1987
72(2): 256 1987
Distribution:  China.

basionym of:Leguminosae Chesneya yunnanensis (Yakovlev) Z.G.Qian Acta Bot. Yunnan. 20(4): 400. 1998

[Maggi Young]

More pics coming up later, hoping Bjarne will post some of his before we move on to the next location

Yes, we hope so too.... pretty please Bjarne!

[fleurbleue]

Sorry but it is not in my book ; I can't help you more...

[Maggi Young]

Getting a decent picture of the Paraquilegia required quite a bit of the "fence acrobatics" pictured above... Is this P. microphylla or P. anemonoides?

 I'm feeling lumpy... is there any difference?  

[Maggi Young]

Back to the peas.... yellow and purple versions....
Spongiocarpella yunnanensis  pix from Harry
http://www.jansalpines.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=18584&g2_imageViewsIndex=1
http://www.jansalpines.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=14764

Harry's pix of the purple version, S. purpurea ( which Harry has written as S. pupurea)
http://www.jansalpines.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=18926
http://www.jansalpines.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=18887


But: Harry's  purple pea  is not the one shown in this thread... that one has nice red stalks see « Reply #4 on: Today at 11:53:07 AM » pic :copy of exDSC_0173.jpg..... we need another name if I am to rest easy.....

[arisaema]

But: Harry's  purple pea  is not the one shown in this thread... that one has nice red stalks see « Reply #4 on: Today at 11:53:07 AM » pic :copy of exDSC_0173.jpg..... we need another name if I am to rest easy.....

I'm afraid that one is likely to be an Astragalus, and you probably won't rest easy, there are 400 of them just in China

[Maggi Young]

Yes, I thought Astragalus...... only 400 in China, eh?  Well, this may take some time... where are the experts when you need them?

[arisaema]

A few more pics from the summit:

Veratrilla baillonii may not be everyone's cup of 茶, but I like it!

A couple of Rhododendrons were still in flower, the white one looks close to R. primuliflorum and only grew on steep slopes and cliff edges, presumably places the yaks couldn't reach it... (Grazing yaks sort of negate the need for those wooden walkways... )

[arisaema]

The summit had a pale-flowered form of Anemone trullifolia, or is it A. coelestina? The blue form grew further down at the base of the mountain.

Also numerous: Oxygraphis glacialis. A week earlier and I suspect the entire summit would have been covered in yellow stars, in late June only those shaded by the wooden walk-way remained in flower.

Lastly, a lone Meconopsis. I had hoped to find M. pseudovenusta growing there, but judging by the foliage this has to be M. impedita? IMO it's a genus in bad need of a good lumping...

[Philippe]

Thank you for the pics.
Really interesting report with great plants and views

[tonyg]

You say at the beginning that Bjarne is a better photographer than you.  Well he must be hot!  Your pics are just great!  Thanks.

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks so much for these brilliant plants, wonderfully photographed.

I can imagine going to Christchurch or Invercargill "on an impulse." Maybe the English would fly to Paris, but to Yunnan? Wow, that's some impulse.

[arillady]

Exactly what I thought too Lesley!!!

[Hoy]

If you get that impulse once more and need company, please contact me!

I loved this "little" trip

[arisaema]

Thanks for all the comments Bjarne told me he'd join in with some pictures tomorrow, he needed his work computer to empty the memory card. China is an amazing country with wonderful people, and Yunnan is incredibly easy for a tourist, so a trip there in spring is highly recommended!

If anyone's interested I could upload some pics from my trip last autumn?