256 



these families forming, in the latter, l-64th of the whole 

 vegetable productions, and in Germany, 1-1 37th ; the former, 

 again, falls far behind in the number of its Primulace<s, 

 Solanece, EricefS and CampanulacecB ; these, collectively, being 

 in Germany l-19th, and in Altai only l-37th. The Com- 

 positcBj in the mass, form in both countries about l-8th ; but 

 the separate families of this Natural Order are very differently 

 distributed. While in Germany, the amount of CentaurecBi 

 Radiatce, and Cichoracece preponderates, the Altai is richest 

 in EupatoricBi Perdiciea, and particularly Cinarocephalce, the 

 latter section indeed being more numerous than in Germany. 

 The Aggregatce, ValerianecB, RuhiacecB, Saxifrage<s and 

 Rhamnece, compose in Germany l-26th, in the Altai l-50th. 

 The RutacecB and TamariscinecB, on the contrary, amount to 

 l-123d in the latter, and in Germany to only l-960th. The 

 UmbellatcB ai'e, in the latter, l-25th, in the Altai l-26th : the 

 Cruciferce of Germany l-12th, of Altai l-18th. In Malvacece, 

 Linece, Portulacece, and Sede<v, the German Flora excels, as, 

 in respect to the lonidem and Grossularice, it must yield to the 

 Altai. The Caryophyllece constitute in Germany l-26th, in 

 the Altai l-20th; and, lastly, the Rosacece of Germany are 

 l-15th, and of the Altai l-21st: still many of the numerous 

 Rubi, now entering into the German Flora, might probably, 

 on examination, appear to be natives of the Altai also. 



A striking feature of Altaic vegetation consists in the 

 great scarcity of hard-wood trees. We have seen, by the 

 above list, that the TerehinthacecB, AcerecB and Tiliacea are 

 wanting to its Flora ; so are also the genera Quercus, Fagus, 

 Carpinus, Fraxmus, &c. The Birch is almost the only 

 hard-wood found in tolerable plenty: next to it are the 

 Aspens, which present themselves here and there, collected 

 into little groves. Besides these, two other species of Poplar 

 occur on the banks of rivers, and in the low tracts. The 

 other hard-wood trees do not grow to a large size, and are 

 scarcely numerous enough to deserve notice. With regard to 

 the herbaceous plants, we may easily note the disproportion 

 in the amount of annual and perennial ones. The former are 

 very few, even in the less elevated districts; and as they 



