LL VE 
others have upright shoots, of which the lower parts are per- 
manent. Especially characteristic are Eurotia with its broad 
flat stems, and the spinous Astragalus lasiosemius. 
The 17 hemicryptophytes belong to two types, spot- 
bound species, and species having elongated, subterrannean 
rhizomes. To the latter type belong Ephedra, Carex steno- 
phylla and Elymus (?). The 14 spot-bound species need no 
repetition here. Stipa orientalis is the only monocotyledonous 
plant among them, and, like most of the others, it forms 
large close tufts which are born by a huge main-root; radix 
multiceps. As seen by the figures, the tufts attain great size, 
and must be very old. Many of them become by degrees so 
compact and so tall that they approach cushion-plants in 
form. In the case of others the rhizomes gradually grow 
high above the ground so that the plants become indubitable 
chamaephytes. (Macrotomia). Cousinia rava and the two 
Scorzonera species are the only ones not forming large tufts. 
There are only three Therophytes, as Halogeton is 
very rare and confined to single hollows. Lappula is, if 
I may use the expression, a tempered type, upright with 
rather large leaf-surfaces, while Nepeta and Polygonum are 
delicate small-leafed plants mostly found in favourable 
localities, 
Based on the above we may characterize the vegetation 
of the plain as a richly developed vegetation consisting 
for the most part of spot-bound hemicryptophytes 
and chamaephytes, which often form very broad 
tufts. The plants have no great height as the flowers 
are usually 20—30 cm from the ground, single ex- 
ceptions being '/2 mètre. Among the cespitose plants, 
the chamaephytes, though the number of the species 
is few, play a very important part. This is also 
true of the two species of cushion-plants. Hemi- 
cryptophytes with horizontal subterranean shoots 
are found sporadically. Therophytes are few and of 
no importance. 
This vegetation, or one that is similar, is very common 
