FLORA OF CANADA. 9 



ditions. The following species may, however, be mentioned as represent- 

 ing the typical prairie flora 1 : Stipa viridula, Spartina gracilis, AvenaHookeri, 

 Poa crocata, Calamovilfa longifolia, Elymus Macounii, Agropyrum Smithii, 

 A. tenerum, A. Richardsonii, many species of Carex, Allium cernuum, 

 Lilium philadelphicum, Smilacina stellata, Rumex persicarioides, Lychnis 

 Drummondii, Anemone hirsutissima, Ranunculus rhomboideus, Lesquerella 

 argentea, Sisymbrium incisum, Cleome serrulata, Potenlilla arguta, P. penn- 

 sylvanica, P. bipinnatifida, P. camporum, P. effusa,P.plattensis, P. pulcher- 

 rima, P. viridescens, Geum iriflorum, Thermopsis rhombifolia, Astragalus 

 caryocarpus, A. hypoglottis, A. adsurgens, A. bisulcatus, A. pectinatus, A. 

 missouriensis, Psoralea esculenta, P. argentea, Glycyrrhiza lepidota, 

 Petalostemum candidum, P. purpureum, Hedysarum boreale, Zizia cordata, 

 Lomatium macrocarpum, Musineum divaricatum, Asclepias ovalifolia, 

 Acerates virdiflora, Phlox Hoodii, Agastache Fceniculum, Physostegia 

 parviflora, Monarda mollis, Pentstemon gracilis, Orthocarpus luteus, 

 Lobelia spicata, Liatris scariosa, Grindelia squarrosa, Aster multiflorus, A. 

 Icevis, Erigeron glabellus, E. philadelphicus, Antennariacampestris, Ambro- 

 sia trifida, Lepachys columnaris, Helianthus rhomboideus, Helenium autum- 

 nale, Artemisia biennis, Senecio palustris, S. eremophilus, Cirsium 

 undulatum, Agoseris glauca. 



Third Prairie Steppe. This steppe includes the rest of the prairie 

 up to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. In its northern parts, i.e., 

 north of lat. 52, the flora is very similar to that of the second prairie 

 steppe. The southern part of the region, however, is of an altogether 

 different type. The rivers -and even creeks are flowing in deep narrow 

 valleys, and the country in general is broken by coulees and low hills. The 

 precipitation is scant, and, as a result, the vegetation is xerophile and 

 often desert-like in character. Except on Wood Mountain and Cypress 

 Hills no trees occur, unless along the borders of the streams in the valleys. 

 The ponds, marshes and lakes are not even fringed with shrubs. 



Large districts, especially in the Coteau de Missouri belt, are char- 

 acterized by the absence of drainage valleys, the result being that the 

 water in the lakes and ponds is generally saline, and that numerous 

 alkali flats occur. The vegetation in such situations is very sparse and 

 of course halophyte in character, the typical plants being Distichlis 

 spicata, Hordeum jubatum, Puccinellia airoides, Corispermum hyssopi- 

 folium, Atriplex and Chenopodium species, Salicornia prostrata, Suceda 

 depressa, Salsola Kali, Rumex mexicanus, Ranunculus Cymbalaria, 

 Plantago eriopoda, Heliotropium curassavicum, Pleurogyne fontana, Crepis 

 runcinata. In the saline ponds themselves, Ruppia maritima is common. 



1 For these and for other plants in the West only the Latin names are given, the reason being that 

 the majority of the species characteristic of Western Canada have no generally recognized common 



