Nepal is famous for its spectacular scenery of mountains and plains, rich cultural heritage. But no less wondrous is the beautiful flora that adorns it.
It is the flowering season, and some of us lucky to be up in the mountains during the lockdown will wonder what that gorgeous rhododendron is called. Or what is the story behind that delicate carnivorous plant with leaves like the hands of the Buddha? How about the medicinal uses of the lovely blue gentian?
Now, the answers are all within reach – literally in the palm of your hand- and it does not add a single ounce to your backpack.
The Flora of Nepal Project and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation have partnered with vegetation ecologist Elizabeth Byers and High Country Apps to produce Wildflowers of Mount Everest, the first-ever wildflower identification app for Nepal.
Nepal’s flora is unique in the world, being specially adapted to survive at high elevations, through cold winters and wet summer monsoons. In spring, luxuriant displays of rhododendrons and primroses cover whole mountainsides with colour.
Summer brings the beautiful and sometimes bizarre blossoms, such as Hippolytia gossypina with its white-haired pillars topped by clusters of golden flowers. The autumn trekking season is painted with the blue of gentians and the bright red and yellow autumn foliage of the shrubs and trees.
Wildflowers of Mount Everest offers easy-to-use graphical keys, botanical help, detailed descriptions, and plant lore to identify and explore Nepal’s remarkable flora. The app does not require a cellular or internet connection to run, so it can be used anywhere, whether on the trail or in your home. Users can create a list of the plants they see each day and email it to themselves or their friends.
“The app is suitable for students, educators, scientists, guides, and visitors interested in the beautiful wildflowers of Nepal’s Mount Everest region. It will be a useful tool for park rangers and scouts as they work to conserve the park’s floral diversity,” says Gopal Prakash Bhattarai, Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation.
Designed for people who are complete beginners as well as experienced botanists, Wildflowers of Mount Everest will appeal to anyone who wants to identify or learn about plants in eastern Nepal.
Byers has spent much of the last 40 years identifying, photographing, and cataloging specimens of subalpine and alpine flora of eastern Nepal. “Two things make this field guide special,” she says. “First, the Sherpa elders who have graciously shared plant lore and stories to give us a glimpse of the cultural importance of each species. Second, the botanical experts from all over the world who have volunteered their knowledge to help us understand the unique and specially-adapted plants of Mount Everest.”
The Wildflowers of Mount Everest app is available from the Apple App Store and Google PlayStore for $7.99. The authors will periodically update the app to include new species and other content, at no additional charge to users.
Elizabeth A Byers is a vegetation ecologist studying rare plant species and climate change vulnerability of plants. She has been studying and photographing the flora of Nepal for nearly 40 years.
