— 119 — 
developed because near water. Tamarix alone forms a dense 
fringe round the riverside thickets and stretches away from 
the river, far into the desert as low bushes bearing a scanty 
foliage. Scattered bushes may still be found 2—3 Verst‘) 
from the river-bank, but what a difference between these 
poor stunted bushes no higher than 2 Arshin!) and the 
vigorous little trees of 2—3 Sashen !)! The occurrence of this 
bush in the loess-desert (or plain) is the sign that there is 
probably a river in the neighbourhood, so constant are the 
conditions of distribution of this species.” 
In connection with the riverside thickets, a brief reference 
ought to be made to the aquatic and marsh-vegetation along 
the Amu Darya. 
Beyond the thickets, in the water or on the very wet 
muddy soil, there are dense reed-swamps, up to 3 metres 
high, of Phragmites, (Phragmiteta) or of Typha (Typheta) 
including T. angustifolia, T. Laxmanni, T. stenophylla. The 
two last are small and narrow-leaved forms. 7. Laxmanni 
seems to occur most frequently of the three; as already 
stated, it may also invade some parts of the land which is 
dry during summer and mingle with the plants of the thickets, 
but in relation to these it always plays a subordinate rôle. 
Calamagrostis pseudophragmites which is also a wet-soil plant 
with horizontal subterranean runners, prefers a somewhat 
drier soil than Typha, and when it occurs along with the 
latter it is subordinate; so also in the thickets, it is generally 
subordinate to the plants of the thickets. Calamagrostis how- 
ever, may form a pure association on submerged soil. 
In the irrigation-canals and ditches, the following plants 
were observed: Scirpus Tabernaemontani and S. maritimus, 
Zanichellia pedicellata, Potamogeton perfoliatus var. Mülleri. 
At Giaur Kala, I saw a deserted branch of a river (“Stariza,' 
see p. 33) now a lake, and in this the following plants were 
growing: Phragmites communis, Polygonum amphibium, Pota- 
mogeton perfoliatus and lucens. 
These are the only notes taken on the aquatic and marsh 
vegetation of the Amu Darya, but they can be supplemented 
1) See note page 118. 
