ILLUSTRATIONS (17). VEGETATION OF THE STEPPES. 95 



never observed anything approaching to this phenomenon, 

 excepting, perhaps, where I have looked only towards one 

 quarter of the heavens, for the Asiatic plains are frequently 

 intersected by chains of hills, or clothed with coniferous woods. 

 The Asiatic vegetation, too, in the most fruitful pasture 

 lands, is by no means limited to the family of the Cyperaceae, 

 but is enriched by a great variety of herbaceous plants and 

 shrubs. In the season of spring, small snowy white and red 

 flowering Rosaceae and Amygdaleas (Spircea, Cratagus, Primus 

 spinosa, Amygdalus nana), present a pleasing appearance. I 

 have elsewhere spoken of the tall and luxuriant Synan- 

 therea3 (Sattssurea amara, S. salsa, Artemisia, and Centaurece), 

 and of leguminous plants, (species of the Astragalus, Cytisus 

 and Caragana). Crown Imperials (Fritittaria ruthenica and 

 F. meleagroides], Cypripediae and tulips gladden the eye with 

 their varied and bright hues. 



A contrast is presented to this charming vegetation of the 

 Asiatic plains by the dreary Salt Steppes, especially by that 

 portion of the Barabinski Steppe which lies at the base of the 

 Altai Mountains, between Barnaul and the Serpent Mountain, 

 and by the country to the east of the Caspian. Here the 

 social Chenopodiae, species of Salsola, Atriplex, Salicorniae, and 

 Halimocnemis crassifolia*, cover the clayey soil with patchds 

 of verdure. Among the five hundred phanerogamic species 

 which Glaus and Gobel collected on the Steppes, Synantherese, 

 Chenopodia3, and Cruciferae were more numerous than the 

 grasses ; the latter constituting only T yth of the whole, and the 

 two former |th and ith. In Germany, owing to the alternation 

 of hills and plains, the Glumacea3 (comprising the Gramineae, 

 Cyperacea3, and Juncacege) constitute ^-th, the Synantherea3 

 (Composite) -i-th, and the Crucifera3 -^th. of all the German 

 Phanerogamic species. In the most northern part of the flat 

 land of Siberia, the extreme limit of tree and shrub vegetation 

 (Conifer as and Amentacecs] is, according to Admiral Wran- 

 gell's fine map, 67 15* north lat., in the districts contiguous 

 to Behring's Straits, while more to the west, towards the 

 banks of the Lena, it is 71, which is the parallel of the 

 North Cape of Lapland. The plains bordering on the Polar Sea 

 are the domain of Cryptogamic plants. They are called Tundra 

 (Tuntur in Finnish), and are vast swampy districts, covered 



* Gobel, Reise in die Steppe des siidlichen Russlands, 1838, th, ii. 

 s. 244, 301. 



