— 113 — 
rarely exceeds a height of 2 (2,5) metres; Alhagi Camelorum 
and Lycium turcomanicum, shrubs attaining a height of up 
to 2 metres; Halostachys caspica a migrant from the desert, 
which on the river-banks is exceedingly luxuriant in growth, 
and amongst Tamarix bushes it may attain a height of 3 
metres; also Equisetum ramosissimum, Zygophyllum Eichwaldii, 
and several casual visitors, e. g. Launaea nudicaulis, Mulgedium 
tataricum, Plantago major. Phragmites, although strictly be- 
longing to moister places, may also be found here; so also 
with Calamagrostis pseudophragmites a metre-high grass with 
thin subterranean runners, and Typha Laxmanni. 
These plants form low thickets as represented in fig. 19. 
They present a particularly curly or rufled appearance, because 
the bushes appear devoid of leaves; nothing is seen but twigs 
forming a confused mass, and where (as in the picture) Ly- 
cium and Alhagi are prominent the thicket is almost impene- 
trable on account of thorns. — The scattered Erianthus-tussocks 
with their orderly ranks of flowering shoots and long leaves 
are an agreeable relief in this otherwise confused picture. 
In other places the thorny species disappear and the vege- 
tation is formed by Tamarisks, Glycyrrhiza and grasses. Some- 
times these also occur: Elæagnus hortensis var. continentalis, 
bush-willows and poplars. (Salix angustifolia var carmanica, 
S. Wilhelmsiana, Populus pruinosa, P. euphratica). 
These, especially the poplars, generally attain their full 
development at higher elevations. Populus pruinosa is the one 
I have seen most frequently but P. euphratica is also wide- 
spread. I saw it frequently in the country round Chiwa. Both 
occur either as shrubs or as trees up to a height of 6—8 
metres, and are noteworthy because of the wide variations in 
shape presented by their leaves as illustrated in fig. 20. The 
narrow leaves are mostly found on bushes which may be 
entirely narrow-leaved or somewhat broader leaves may occur 
higher up the branches. Larger trees, during the flowering 
period or after it, generally have broader leaves. Through a 
twisting of the petiole, the leaves assume a vertical edgewise 
position and they have a light greyish colour. 
These species of poplar may occur as shrubs interspersed 
amongst Tamarisks, Halimodendron, Erianthus, etc., but they 
8 
