Nr. 3] SOME VASCULAR PLANTS FROM SAGHALIN 5 



This locality is bounded on the inner side by a zone of 

 Abies sachalinensis, Larix sibirica and Betiila alba, which form a 

 frontier belween it and the mighty swampy lields faiiher inland. 



II. Swamps and Lagoons. All Ihe swamps in the vicinity 

 of Sakachama aie richly overgrown with varions Carex and 

 Scirpus species, Jnnciis and water lilies, the shores having a 

 dense growth of various Carex species. In these swamps there 

 are as a rule small hillocks also bearing the above named 

 piants, and here and there clumps of floating mud with no 

 visible vegetation. 



The lagoons occnr mostly as isolaled pools in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of the sea shore; the banks are high and dry, 

 generally with thickets of Rosa riigosa. Schmidt (1. c. p. 83) 

 con siders these lagoons as being old sea bays, which have been 

 gradually cut ofT from the open water by the forming of sand- 

 banks across their mouth. In course of time, the lakes thus 

 formed become overgrown with vegetation, forming those swampy 

 hollows just inside the shore which are so abundant on the 

 island. The water in these lagoons is clear, and, as a rule, poor 

 in vegetation. 



III. Rivers and Streams. The larger rivers, as for in- 

 stance, the Naibulski, tlow between high sandy banks, partly 

 begrown with various conifers, such as Larix sibirica and Abies 

 sachalinensis, and with an undergrowlh of Empetriim nigrum, 

 Vaccinium nitis idaea and Mijrica gale var. tomentosa; in other parts, 

 the riparian vegetation consists of various foliferous trees, chiefly 

 Ulmiis campestris nar. laevis, Salix Caprea, Quercus species and 

 with and extraordinarily dense undergrowth, chiefly of Urtica, 

 various lilies etc. Some of the piants here often reach the height 

 of a man, and form thus an almost impenetrable wilderness, 

 which renders progress difticult. The vegetation is here so dense, 

 that the sunlight never penetrates to the soil. In such piaces, 

 moreover, small streams and pools abound, wilh an luxuriant 

 growth of aquatic piants, at times covering them almost entirely. 



The nature of the streams varies with Ihal of the country 

 around. In the lowlands the}' are richly overgrown with aquatic 

 piants, such as Carex, and the like; on the banks, many different 

 shrubs abound, of which Betiila alba, various Salices and Quercus 

 being most richly represented. On dryer ground, they are gene- 

 rally surrounded by a luxuriant growth of Myrica gale var. 

 iomenlcjsa, single pines (Abies sachalinensis), birch (Betula alba) 

 and larch (Larix sibirica). 



