FLORA OF TIBET OR HIGH ASIA. 295 
here. Drude himself states, in the place cited, that Schlagintweit 
(‘Reisen in Hochasien,’ vol. iv.) places the extreme upper limit of 
flowering plants at 6038 metres (=19,804 ft.),in a higher 
latitude even than Tibet. The name of no plant is given by 
Drude, and we have not been able to refer to the German work 
from which he professes to quote. But in Schlagintweit’s 
English work (‘ Results of a Scientific Mission to India and High 
Asia,’ il. p. 501) is the following paragraph :—‘ The very extreme 
limit of phanerogamic plants appeared in Western Tibet, on the 
north-eastern slopes of the Ibi-gamin pass at a height of 19,509 
ft., next in order come those of Gunshankar, in Guari Khorsum, 
at 19,237 ft., or 572 ft. above the limit of snow. In the Hima- 
laya the highest plants were found at 17,500 ft., on the slopes of 
the Janti pass.” Incidentally it may be mentioned that Schlag- 
intweit gives the height of Ibi-gamin as 25,550 ft., and the height 
reached as 22,259 ft. Here, again, no names of plants are given: 
and Tchihatchef (‘ Végétation du Globe,’ ii. p. 615), who refers to 
Schlagintweit’s writings, and gives the limit as 6037 metres, is 
also silent on this point. Schlagintweit’s ‘‘ Einleitung” to Klatt’s 
‘Die Composite des Herbarium Schlagintweit,’ repeated in the 
‘Journal of Botany ’ (vi. 1868), is almost as indefinite. He takes 
the genera Artemisia and Saussurec to illustrate the distribution 
of the Composite, and of the latter genus be says that it begins 
to predominate at the upper limit of trees, and that some of the 
speciesare among the phanerogams reaching the greatest altitudes. 
Further on, he mentions S. Schlagintweitii as a species ascending 
almost to the snow-line, on the south side of the Kuen Luen 
range, having just before stated that the snow-line on the south 
side of the Karakorum range is at about 19,400 ft. Turning to the 
description of this species, where its localities are given in detail, 
the altitudinal range is from 13,800 to 15,500 ft.; and ot two 
other species, S. subulata and S. Thomsonii, specially designated 
as high-level species, 17,000 ft. is the upper limit recorded. . 
Taking ail things into consideration, and especially the light oF 
later explorations, there seem to be strong reasons for doubting 
the correctness of the highest altitudes recorded. At the same 
time it must be admitted that, given nooks and crevices tree from 
snow and seed conveyed thither by wind or birds, a plant might 
thrive as well at 20,000 ft. as it does at 17,000. Indeed Ball, 
Christ, Whymper, and others agree that the only upper Innit Is 
perpetual snow. 
