150 MR. W. B. HEMSLEY ON THE 
“T was careful to collect all the flowering plants I saw along 
my route, and the barrenness of this region may be judged by 
the very small number I have brought home with me. 
‘The only edible plant we found in this country was a species 
of onion (Allium senescens) *, which grew in the sand in great 
quantities at altitudes higher than 15,000 ft. above the sea-level, 
though we looked for it in vain below this level. 
“T may here remark that the rhubarb-plant, which I found 
growing in enormous quantities on the north and north-eastern 
slopes of mountains on the Ich’u, Lench’u, and other feeders of 
the Jyama-nu ch’u, thrived at an altitude above sea-level, ranging 
from 12,000 to 13,500 ft. I note this fact, as Col. Przewalski 
(Mongolia, ii. p. 84) says that this plant rarely flourishes at an 
elevation of more than 10,000 ft. above the level of the sea.” 
Including the rhubarb and onion referred to in the above 
note, of which no specimens reached Kew, the flowering plants 
observed by Mr. Rockhill numbered fifty species. Each speci- 
men was carefully labelled, giving locality, altitude, latitude and 
longitude, date, relative frequency, and other particulars. Only 
two species were not recognized as belonging to previously 
described species, namely Gentiana Rockhillii, Hemsl., and 
Kobresia Sargentiana, Hemsl. 
The references to vegetation in Mr. Rockhill’s narrative are 
few, yet on that account of great interest, because so much of 
the country traversed had no vegetation worthy of the name. 
But a few special allusions to plants are worth extracting. At 
p- 192 (May 28th, 93° 35’. 35° 80', 13,788 ft.) it runs: “The 
Sharakingi Gol (7. e. river of the yellow thigh-bone) is a clear 
mountain rivulet tumbling down over granite boulders from the 
snow-covered pass. The road up the latter looks very easy: 
The grass around our camp is just beginning to turn green, and 
the ground is covered with yellow and violet tulips and a little 
edelweiss.” 
The “tulips ” were Gagea pauciflora, which appeared in our 
original list as Tulipa (§ Orithya) sp. aff. T. eduli, Baker; but it was 
again examined, and our colleague, Mr. C. H. Wright, succeeded 
in identifying it. Rockhill mentions the iris and tulip again on 
June 17,in about 92° and 35°. By June 25th (90°. 33° 40’) grass 
was showing green, and Lagotis, Carex, Kobresia, and Festuca 
were picked in flower. Under date of Aug. 2nd (93° 15!. 31° 50’) 
* There was no specimen of this plant in Mr. Rockhill’s collection.—W- B. H. 
