EASTEKN ORIGINAL SIBERIA. 39 



tdi.is (laiimiciilaceao) beyond tin." Yi'nissoi mv met wiili i'or ilie I'irsl limc: tlmliciiiim 

 coiiiortuin L.. aiieijioiie sibiiica L., caltlia nataiis Pall.; ol' ilie I'liniitories (fiunariaeeae): 

 corydalis ambigua Cliain.. curydalis gracilis Led.; (,[ ilie criicifers (orucifereae): two species 

 n{ doiitosteinon, sisymbrium humile Mey. ; of tlie violels (violarieae): viola dissecta Led.: 

 (d' the pea iamily (Irgmuiiioseae): some astragalus (oxytropis muricata D.C, brevirostre 

 D.C, ammophila Turcz., grandistore D.C, leiicantba Pers., caepitosa Pers., ainpuUata Pers. 

 These latter are merely mouiilainnus loiins of the Altai-Sayau system, which have descended 

 into the Siberian lowlaml ou the light hilly bank id the Yenissei by means of the Sayan 

 si)urs. 



Least difference of all is noticeable between the flora of the forest zone of Eastern and 

 AVesterii Siberia. The woody races are absolutely identical. Of the coniferous families the piui' 

 (pinus sylvcstris L.), and tiie Siberian larch (larix Ledebourii Endl.) do not cross the boun- 

 ilary of the forest zone; but the remaining forms also pass over into tin' polar zone, becom- 

 ing of course stunted, crooked and gradually losing their proper character (d' high-stemmed 

 trees. Thus the Siberian fir (j)inus sibirica Led.), attains on the Yenissei a heiglit of GT'S" nortii 

 latitude, the Siberian cedar ({linus cenibra L.), OS'S", the pitch pine (picea orientalis L.), fiQ-o"; 

 finally the (hiur larch (larix duviirica Fisch.) is found on the river Boganida as far north as 

 72"5°. As far as regards the lierbaceons plants of the forest zone, it is not distinguished by 

 any special differences from tln' like flora <d' the corresponding zone of Western Silteria. and 

 is on the whole pool-; in the thick bjrest growths there is no herbage, the s(dl l)(dng mainly 

 carpeted with mosses and lichens. 



Particularly typical on the other liand is the very limited flora of the far north of the 

 judar tundra tract. Middeiidorf found on the Taimyr peninsula 124 plants, among which were 

 the very lowest, it might be said, ilwarf shrubs of the arctic species of birch (betula nana 

 Ti.); willow, (salix polaris Wahl, laiiala L., glauca L., arctica Pall., taimyrensis Trautv.). 

 and also a ledum, (ledum paliistre L.) and an aiulromeda (cassiope tetragona Don.): and of 

 herbaceous plants, 17 species of crucifereae, 14 compositeae, 7 stellarieae, (alsine, st(dlaria, 

 cerastium), 12 stonecrops (saxifraga), 6 species of pediciilaris, 5 astragals (of the geiiea phaca 

 and oxytropis), 5 rosaceae (dryas, sieversia, potent ilia) and G I'low's foots (ranunculus, caltha, 

 delphinum). Of the 124 jdaiiis nieiiiioned. ;'0 do not belong to the polar types, but are common 

 to the whole of Siberia and tor the most part cross over on the one side into Europe, and on the 

 other into America. The remaining 94 jdants are completidy arctic typi's. Miudi more than 

 ball' of tlieiii (54) are met with o\cr the wlnde pdjar zone, alike of the Old and (d' the New 

 World, and in pari come [dith upon the alps (d the Altai Sayan range; but some are pecul- 

 iar to Siberia alone (12), or only ap|)ear outside in Europe (10), or more frequently in Amer- 

 ica (18 spe<'ies). To ihe lallei', for example, bcdong of the crow's I'oois (raniinculaceae): ra- 

 nunculus alTinis U. Uv.: of ilie cnndfers, (ciiicifereac): draba pauciflora K. Br., dralia glacialis 

 Ad., drat)a algida Ad., draba rupestris 11. \k., hesperis llookeri Led., sisymbrium soplii(ddes 

 Hook.; of the caryophyllac(>ae (alsineae): alsine macrocarpa Eetizl., alsine arctica Fisch.; of the 

 pea family (leguminoseae): oxytropis nigresceiis Fis(di.: of the rosaceae: sieversia glasialis 

 Iv. Ifr.; (d' the stone crops (saxifragaceae): saxifraga serpyllifolia Pursli. punctata L.; of 

 the scrojihnlariaceae: pediciilaris [.angsdoiffi Fisidi.. pediciilaris capitala Ad. 



