SINO-MONGOLIAN FRONTIER 



North China, and also in the more fertile parts of 

 Inner Mongolia. Daisies and Marguerites of all 

 kinds occur, besides the Dandelion, Thistles of 

 various kinds, the Burdock, the Sawwort, the 

 Starwort, the Nipplewort, the Yarrow, Marigolds, 

 Wild Chrysanthemums, and a number of species 

 with inconspicuous flowers and strong scented 

 leaves, which evidently belong to the same family 

 as the Cudweed (Gnapholium) of our English 

 marshes and fens. In the mountains of Shansi 

 a large pink Daisy, which flowers in autumn, is 

 very common, while the Michaelmas Daisy is also 

 abundant. 



The Leguminosse are also well represented, 

 Trefoils, Vetches and Clovers occurring in great 

 variety in Mongolia, as well as in China proper. 

 The Sanfoin also occurs, besides some varieties of 

 leguminous shrub with fine pink blossoms. In 

 the Chiao-ch'eng Shan of Western Shansi we 

 encountered large patches of a small leguminous 

 shrub with yellow blossoms and very formidable 

 spines. Along the edges of the Ordos another 

 spiny shrub belonging to this order forms almost 

 the only herbage. 



Labiates are less common, though in this con- 

 nexion it is interesting to note that, just as in 

 Great Britain the Stinging Nettle (Urtica) is 

 imitated in appearance by the Dead Nettle 

 (Lamium), so in China the Stinging Nettle, which 

 has a deeply lobed palmate leaf, is imitated by a 



239 



