61. Rhododendron macabeanum Watt ex I.B. Balfour ERICACEAE One of the most handsome of the large rhododendrons, which can reach a height of 15 metres. Its flowers are a…

62. Lithocarpus elegans (Blume) Soepadmo FAGACEAE The genus Lithocarpus is closely related to the oaks (Quercus) and occurs in South and South-East Asia, with a single species in North…

63. Cardiocrinum giganteum (Wallich) Makino LILIACEAE Giant Himalayan lily This ‘prince of lilies’ is a Sino-Himalayan species, occurring from Kashmir to South-West China. It was first discovered by Nathaniel…

64. Cupressus himalaica Silba CUPRESSACEAE Weeping Himalayan cypress; Bhutia: chandang, tchenden This tree, with beautiful drooping foliage, occurs wild in Bhutan at altitudes of up to 3000 metres. Its…

65. Ephedra gerardiana Wallich ex Stapf EPHEDRACEAE Hindi: Somlata, सोमलता A dwarf Himalayan shrub, which occurs at high altitudes of up to 5,200 metres. Although it looks rather like…

66. Persicaria affinis (D. Don) Ronse Decraene POLYGONACEAE According to Joseph Hooker, who explored Sikkim in 1848/9, this plant was ‘one of the most beautiful features of the…

67. Geranium himalayense Klotzsch GERANIACEAE A popular garden plant, with several cultivars, which forms carpets by means of creeping rhizomes. Its large flowers are produced over a long period…

68. Iris clarkei J.D. Hooker An iris of the Sibericae group, in which the drooping, outer petals (which are known as the ‘falls’) are smooth and beardless. It…

69. Roscoea auriculata K. Schumann ZINGIBERACEAE Roscoea is one of the few hardy genera of the largely tropical ginger family. It was named by James Edward Smith after…

70. Betula utilis D. Don var. jacquemontii (Spach) Winkler BETULACEAE Himalayan silver birch, Jacquemont’s birch; Hindi: bhojpattra, भोजपत्र The specific name of this tree refers to its usefulness….