109 



similar type as the ones of the Clay-desert. There Poa bul- 

 bosa was the most important species, and in the Sand-desert 

 it occurs locally in great quantities on stationary soil, but 

 Carex physodes (and C. stenophylla) are here the chief species; 

 the horizontal rhizomes of these species are well adapted for 

 growth on a stationary sandy soil. 



Other hemicryptophytes in the Spring-aspect of the Sand- 

 desert are Rheum tataricum (see p. 56), Eremostachys - spe- 

 cies, Scorzonera pusilla, Astragalus ammotrophus, chiwensis, 

 orbiculatus. The species of Astragalus have multipinnate leaves 

 as in the Clay-desert, the leaflets are hairy and elliptical or 

 ovate. 



A number of geophytes are recorded for the Sand-desert 

 in spring: Tulipa biflora and Androssowii, Allium caspicum 

 and sabiilosum, Rhiuopetalum Karelini (all Liliaceae), Eminium 

 Ledebouri (Araceae\ Iris falcifolia, Linaria odora, and the para- 

 sites Phelipaea flava and triualuis, the former with an in- 

 florescence which almost attains the height of a metre 1 ). 



By comparing the plants mentioned, it will be seen that 

 the spring-perennials of the Sand-desert are formed after the 

 same type as those of the Clay-desert. It is possible that 

 at any rate all the ephemeral species are common to both. 



CHAPTER 10 



The Riverside Thickets (Bushland). 



My own observations on the Riverside Thickets only extend 

 to those on the lower part of the Amu Darya, but thickets 

 also occur along the rivers Tedshen and Murghab, etc. (AN- 

 TONOW, KORSHINSKY). 



My knowledge of the Amu Darya was acquired during a 

 boat -journey made by the expedition from Tshardshui to 

 Chiwa and Kunja Urgentsh, a trip described by O. OLUFSEN 

 in "Geografisk Tidsskrift" vol. 15. 



') Figured by O. FEDTSCHENKO in Bull. Jard. Bot. de St. Petersbourg 

 VI 1906. 



