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The plateau of Usturt which lies between the Aral Sea 
and the Caspian is divided by BAsınEr into four vegetation- 
regions: the Clay-region, the Sand-region, the Marl-region 
and the Salt-region. The first named embraces the greater part 
of the plateau, is dry and bare with a scattered vegetation. 
During spring many annuals are in bloom especially Cru- 
ciferae and bulbous plants (Allium and Tulipa); during autumn 
hardly anything but scattered perennial Chenopodiaceae are 
found: Saxaul, Anabasis aphylla, Salsola glauca, Arbuscula, 
crassa, rigida, Brachylepis salsa and the polygonaceous Atra- 
phaxis spinosa. 
The Sand-region consists of scattered sand-hills (dunes) 
The vegetation is richer than on the clay, as the sand retains 
the moisture better. The most common plant is Pterococcus 
aphyllus (= Calligonum Pallasii), next comes Tamarix gallica, 
and of annuals we find recorded Salsola Kali, Horaninowia 
ulicina, Corispermum laxiflorum and Asperula Danilewskiana. 
The substratum of the Marl-region is looser than clay, 
but more compact than the sand. It occurs especially in 
crevices between rocks and other similar places on the eastern 
slope of the plateau; the vegetation is comparatively rich, 
BASINER gives a long list of plants which are found during 
autumn. This contains some annuals (Cruciferae), and many 
herbaceous perennials, undershrubs and bushes such as: 
Peganum Harmala, Astragalus-species, Alhagi Camelorum, 
Tamarix, Artemisiae, Chenopodiaceae, Atraphaxis. 
The vegetation of the Salt-region is chiefly found round 
the coast of the Aral Sea, both on marl and on moving 
sands. The most important plants are: Frankenia intermedia, 
Zygophyllum Fabago, Lycium ruthenicum, Saussurea crassifolia, 
Salsola ericoides, Schoberia (= Suada) microphylla, Halocne- 
mum strobilaceum, Halostachys caspica, Atriplex laciniatus, and 
on sandy soil: Clematis orientalis, Mulgedium tataricum, Cy- 
nanchum acutum, Phelipaea salsa. 
BASINER also describes thickets on the river sides with 
tamarisks, willows and poplars, and a wood of Saxaul, which 
took three hours to traverse. The height of the trees was 
15 to 20 feet and the diameter of the stems 8 inches or 
more. The year-rings were very narrow, 200—260 being 
