A Visit to the Valley of Flowers and Lake Hemkumd in North Garhwal, U. P.

The paper gives a brief account of the vegetation in the valley and around Lake Hemkund in late autumn as observed by the author during a recent visit. The paper also records, for the first time, the occurrence of Epipogium tuberosum Duthie, the rare saprophytic orchid which was previously known orfly from Kashmir and was recently recorded from Kulu Himalayas, thus extending its known distribution further eastwards. A photograph of the singular woolly species of Saussurea gathered at an altitude of 4400 m is included.