{^louiul l)esi(lo liic i^iiiaiilif cedar, and liavi- lo coulnil llicmsclvfs willi a less iiinl)i- 

 lious place, half hidden between liieni. They conslilule the ^realer pail of Ihe under- 

 wood, which is frequently so dense as to make it nearly impossible foi- Ihe liaveller 

 to force his way. even in llu' subaljiinc rei;ions. nol tar iii'iow Ihi- lice liniil ilscil. 



1 will first in few woids make mention of liic most common species of trees com- 

 posing the taiga proper. 



Abies sibiiicu forms trees up to 30 or .35 m. high, measuring over 0..") m. in dia- 

 meter at a man's height. It is above all characteristic in constituting the moist, dark 

 taiga together with the spruce and the cedar, and. to sonu' extent, the birch and the 

 a.spen. In alpine situations it icaches nearly lo liic limit of Irec vegetation, represented 

 by isolated low specimens, more or less stunted, here however, being superseded by 

 the .spruce and the cedar. It is frequently to be found in loamy soil, and docs not 

 shun rather moist and swampy places, forming here and there undeiwood so dense 

 as to compel travellers to cut out a way for the pack-horses by means of axes. In 



Fig. 22. .Subiilpiiic virt^in coiiircious fori'sl in tiii' Sny;ms!v 

 mounliiins; llic Ujiper Sisti iicm viillcv about 

 ItiOO m. above scalevcl. Tlie l)usliy ceilar-crowns 

 ovci'loppinj^ Uic level of tlie siirioiiiulinu; wood. 



moist, moss-grown places, Abies sibirirn frequently propagates by means of vegetative 

 shoots, the lower branches trailing along the ground, or branches of fallen trees taking 

 root and bending upwards at the summit. These shoots are at the beginning dorsiven- 

 tral, like the branches forming them, but gradually pass into .symmetrical ones. I have 

 observed this fact in several places, for instance near Ust Algiac. 



4.5 



