Thanks for sharing Shantanu Da Tanay
On Fri, Oct 8, 2010 at 12:50 AM, Shantanu Bhattacharya <[email protected]>wrote: > Hi…sharing my experiences from the Lava-Rikisum trip, and an account on the > beautiful flora of the region. > > A journey of 115km via Gorubathan from Chalsa near Siliguri took us to > Lava, one of the most picturesque spot in the Darjeeling Himalayas. A serene > misty hamlet in the Kalimpong sub division of West Bengal, Lava has been a > recent addition in the tourism map of North Bengal and is getting immense > popularity among the travelers looking for off beat destinations. We stayed > in a resort at Rikisum admist the hills, a few kms away from Lava town. > > Situated at an altitude of 2100m (app.7000 feet), Lava presents a landscape > with ultimate splendour of nature that can never be captured by word. The > conifer forests under the worm glow of sun with colourful birds flying and > singing everywhere the whole surrounding will enthrall you to a new > dimension. Lava remains hidden in the mists and clouds almost throughout the > year. It stands against the backdrop of the Neora Valley National Park. > Attractions approached from this unique landmark of bio-diversity are the > emerald green valleys, lakes, waterfalls, the snow-capped mountain peaks and > the unforgettable, ever smiling helpful village folks. Lava is the gateway > of Neora Valley NP…. a virgin, unexplored terrain in the Himalayas. A drive > to Algarah town through the pine clad winding road and the Sunrise view > point are simply unforgettable. Rishap, another upcoming popular tourist > destination is only 8kms from Lava. > > Flora: Lava is considered at the best ecological destination in India, > and it is the gate- way to the famous Neora Valley Nationla park. It thrives > in wide range of flora and fauna. Some of the most commonly found floras in > Lava are orchids, pines, Cypresses, Cryptomeria japonica, ferns, cinnamon, > junipers, bamboo, cacti and cardamom. Evergreen alpine vegetation and pine > trees are commonly found. Here, you can find seven different species of > rhododendron and three hundred species of orchids. The hill sides are dotted > with sunflower and poinsettia. > The British planted the Dhoopi trees (Cryptomeria japonica) here and that > adds to the beauty of the place….as seen in the pics. The tree is often > called *Japanese Cedar* in English, though the tree is not related to the > cedars (*Cedrus*). In Darjeeling district and Sikkim in India, where it is > one of the most widely growing trees, *Cryptomeria japonica* is called * > Dhuppi* and is favoured for its light wood, extensively used in house > building. It is a very large evergreen tree, reaching up to 70 m (230 ft) > tall and 4 m (13 ft) trunk diameter, with red-brown bark which peels in > vertical strips. The leaves are arranged spirally, needle-like, 0.5–1 cm > (0.20–0.39 in) long; and the seed cones globular, 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) > diameter with about 20–40 scales. It is superficially similar to the related > Giant Sequoia (*Sequoiadendron giganteum*), from which it can be > differentiated by the longer leaves (under 0.5 cm in the Giant Sequoia) and > smaller cones (4–6 cm in the Giant Sequoia), and the harder bark on the > trunk (thick, soft and spongy in Giant Sequoia).Sugi (and Hinoki) pollen is > a major cause of hay fever in Japan.Sugi has been so long-cultivated in > China that it is thought by some to be native there. Forms selected for > ornament and timber production long ago in China have been described as a > distinct variety *Cryptomeria japonica* var. *sinensis* (or even a > distinct species, *Cryptomeria fortunei*), but they do not differ from the > full range of variation found in the wild in Japan, and there is no definite > evidence the species ever occurred wild in China. > The hills turn red with the Rhododendron blossoms during spring. > > We have also seen banana trees growing at such high altitudes. (refer image > 2) > > > > Images: 1. Dhoopi trees (Cryptomeria japonica) > 2. The vegetation of Lava from our resort…..check out the > banana tree. > > > > 3. Standing infront of the Dhupi plantations > > 4. Lycopodium > > 5. A spectacular view of the Kanchenjungha peak > > 6. The mist shrouded coniferous forests of Lava > > 7. the winding road bordered by pines > > 8.Rhododendron arboreum > > 9. Close up of Cryptomeria (male) > > > > Regards > > Shantanu : ) > > > > Shantanu Bhattacharya. > B.Sc, M.Sc (Zoology) > University of Calcutta. > Teaching Faculty. > Dept. of Biology. > Vivekananda Mission School(ICSE). > Joka. Kolkata. > > > -- *Tanay Bose* Research Assistant & Teaching Assistant. Department of Botany. University of British Columbia . 3529-6270 University Blvd. Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4 (Canada) Phone: 778-323-4036 (Mobile) 604-822-2019 (Lab) [email protected]
