Similar open, dry declivities with southern aspects were rather frequently to he 

 met with in the iaif^a, often hearinf^ marks of forest-fires, whicii had devastated the wood. 

 In these stretches the conifers seemed to have some difficulty in f^aininj^ f<round a^ain. 

 foliferous trees hciuj^ mostly predominant, especially HeUdu jnibi'scens and I'opiilus 

 licmiilii. associated with vaiious grasses and some forerunners of the xeropiiilous sle|)])(- 

 likc flora. 



\l f>reater altitudes on the summits of the still wooded hills to be found here at 

 tiie outskirts of the Sayansk eruptive area, some plants not obseived hy me in Ihe lower 

 rei^ions akso occurred, viz.: 



Saxifr(U)(i sibiriat. Euphorbia alpina. Anemone eoerulen, Rannncnins propinrjinis. 

 Viola bi/lora. Sinissurea alpina. Belnlit lolundifoiia. Pelasiles liiijidus. and others. 



Moreover, Ihe following are above all ciiaracteristic of the sandy stretciu-s of \\\v 

 riverbed : 



Dianthus superbus, I'olenlilla frnlicasa, I'olentilla anserina, and luiui.seluin i>uric(/aluni. 

 and in loamy soil Tussilago Farfara, and Veronica serpijlli folia. 



In low, irrigated, stony places and on low river-banks among pebbles, the charac- 

 teristic leaves of Pelasilea laevigatas frequently occurred at this time. 



The taiga is practically waste, untouched and uninhabited. Oidy at intervals of 

 several days' journeys, the traveller meet with scattered camps of gold-diggers where 



Fig. 29. Tlie t)anUs ol tin' Aiiix 1 river nenr Semiretskn, nhout 100 m. ;iiiovc sea level. The sands 

 covered with Pelasiles luei'ifialiis. the hanks chieny grown with spruce. hirch,and PoterililUi fnitirosa. 



5:5 



