The distance between the plants varies from one to 
some footsteps. As the tufts are often large, up to a mètre 
in diameter, at least half of the ground is covered with 
vegetation. 
The vegetation covering this plain is both characteristic, 
interesting and beautiful into the bargain, for, as will appear 
later, many of the flowers are very gaily coloured. There 
Fig. 8. The plain at Mardjanaj. The large cushions are Acantholimon 
alatavicus. + 
are many insects: bees, bumble-bees, butterflies, tiny beetles, 
grasshoppers and quantities of flies. 
Below follows a list of the plant species found on the 
plain and information as to their growth-forms. 
Common, appearing everywhere, were the following 
species: 
Hedysarum cephalotes (Franch). A hemicryptophytic 
rosette-plant forming large tufts. Among the largest speci- 
mens I saw, was one 120 cm in diameter, and another, 
almost rectangular in form, 2 métres long and 1 métre broad. 
The tufts were usually dead in the centre. The branches 
were everywhere fastened to ihe ground by roots. The 
pinnate "leaves, 6—7 cm long, were silver-haired, the leaflets, 
(about 9—11), as a rule less than 1 cm long, lanceolate, 
