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fruits gone, but they were seen hanging in the grass-tus- 
socks. 
In depressions where the soil is more gravelly, flat and 
without loose sand, there grows a considerable abundance 
of Horaninowia ulicina an annual saltwort with acicular 
leaves, and Heliotropium (Radula?), together with a few Cou- 
sina annua. The pale yellow blossoms of this plant protrude 
from the heads which do not open but remain closed together 
as if to protect the gynoecia. 
This desert locality has a deep sandy soil and the plants 
are dry sand-plants. There are no halophytes, neither annuals 
nor perennials. Saxaul is also absent. 
2. Sand-desert outside the town of Petro-Alexandrowsk 
(Chiwa) Juli 1 1899. 
A dune area where Alhagi Camelorum is dominant, with 
a sparse admixture of Halimocnemis in the depressions and 
on the dunes, and Aristida pennata on the dunes only. It is 
noteworthy that the Alhagi association here suddenly ceases 
without any apparent reason, the dunes beyond are naked 
but otherwise quite similar to the ones covered with Alhagi. 
There seems to be no other reason for this, than that Alhagi 
in its subterranean migration aided by its horizontal roots 
had not yet extended its range any further. A few plants 
occur on the bare dunes; Aristida pennata and Calligonum; 
and in depressions Agriophyllum latifolium and minus, Haloc- 
nemum strobilaceum and Heliotropium sp. 
The vegetation is thus chiefly made up of sand-plants, 
but a few succulent halophytes occur (Halocnemum, Halimoc- 
nemis). 
3. Sand-desert south of the town of Chiwa. July 11" 1899. 
Here the sand is very distinctly sorted out by the wind, 
the coarser sand being darker in colour than the finer. The 
coarser sand lies in great quantities on the crests of the wave- 
like drifts and on the windward side of the dunes, while the 
fine sand is found between the wave drifts and forms the 
greater part of the sliding mass on the lee side of the dunes. 
The smaller dunes formed in the shelter of plants or other 
obstacles also consist of the fine sand, and so assume a 
lighter colour than the surrounding surface. Over 99 per ct. 
