74 VEGETATION OF THE PLAINS. 



of 12,196 feet over sea-level * and we believe that we 

 have the honour of being one of the first travellers 

 who brought photographs of this wonderful lake to 

 Europe. 



Though a few stunted bushes are occasionally found 

 in sheltered spots at these great heights, these table- 

 lands, we may add, consist almost invariably of open 

 grassy plains, the cutting nature of the icy winds 

 generally preventing the growth of trees and shrubs. 



Time and space will not admit of our considering, 

 except in the briefest possible manner, the herbaceous 

 vegetation which covers the great plains with a carpet 

 of verdure, and adorns their surface with its immense 

 variety of floral beauties: the amazing quantity and 

 luxuriance of the wild flowers being occasionally so 

 great, that in certain sections of country they almost 

 appear to usurp the place of grass, and create what 

 are sometimes known as " flower prairies, " by those 

 who know where to find them. Edible bulbs may also 

 frequently be found in considerable quantities; each of 

 the great prairie regions being generally characterized 

 by its own special varieties. The silver-leafed " Prairie 

 Turnip" (Ps or alia Esculentd] is a good instance in point, 

 and affords a vegetable by no means to be despised 

 by travellers crossing the high and dry plains of North 

 America. These bulbs are about the size of an egg, 

 and are generally found growing one or two together ; 

 they are very common in parts of the Sioux country, 

 where they are eagerly hunted for by the Indians, and the 

 native name for them is Tipsinah, in the Sioux tongue. 



* Stanford's Compendium of Geography and Travel for South 

 America, edited by H. W. Bates, p. 2IO. 



See The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom, by P. 

 L. Simmonds, 1854. 



