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Language: English
From the foreword:
"Aathing K. P. Tamsang compiled a ‘List of the Trees, Shrubs and Large Climbers found in the Darjeeling District, West Bengal and Sikkim with a short description to the many species way back in the early 1980s. This was probably his last work before his demise on 23 September 1985. He could not write the introduction to this book because of his illness. Owing to the dearth of funds, this book of his remained unpublished until 2010.
Aathing K. P. Tamsang has listed the names of trees, shrubs and large climbers found in the Darjeeling District, West Bengal and Sikkim under the appropriate genus. The Lepcha names of trees, shrubs and large climbers are given in the Lepcha scripts, to the sheer delight of Lepcha people, and they are immediately followed by their equivalents in English transliterations in brackets for the conveniences of non-Lepchas, botanists, naturalists, research scholars and those people interested in such plants. Equivalent Nepali names are also included in the book to enhance the knowledge of flora for the local people in the Darjeeling and Sikkim Hills. Simple and short descriptions to each species are given in English. By way of colourful illustrations, we have been able to provide a more accessible experience.
General GB. Mainwaring has very aptly remarked in his book, A Grammar of the Rong (Lepcha) Language as it exists in the Dorjiling and Sikkim Hills, 1876, Calcutta, that the Lepchas are pure naturalists and born botanists. A famous botanist, naturalist and geographer, Dr J. D. Hooker, has said that the Lepcha names for trees, shrubs and climbers are the rnost reliable. No wonder he trusted and employed the Lepchas of Darjeeling Hills to collect plants in the Darjeeling, east Nepal and Sikkim Hills in 1848-1849.
Aathing K. F. Tamsang, an indigenous Lepcha, has done remarkable work in collecting, compiling and writing the book on the trees, shrubs and climbers found in the Darjeeling and Sikkim Hills. Hundreds of different species of trees, shrubs and climbers found in this region still outstand to be listed with the Lepcha names. More research work and investigation is needed to bring them to light."
