The usual vcf^e- 

 tation in the tai- 

 ga on the north 

 side of the Say- 

 ansk mountains. 



the ground and making it swampy throughout the summer. Mosses seemed to be of no 

 great consequence in the ground in the wood here, but in sufficiently open places there 

 occurs a luxuriant vegetation consisting of various vascular plants, especially Aconiliim 

 laevt. Delphinium datum, Heracleum dissectum, Veratrum album, Aquilegia sibirica, 

 etc., attaining a height of towards a couple of metres and so densely interlaced 

 as to form a nearly, impenetrable jungle. This association is especially characteristic 

 of dark and moist, partially irrigated localities, mostly in woods of Abies sibirica. The 

 traveller is liable to lose the general view among this high vegetation, where men and 

 horses nearly disappear in the tangled undergrowth when making their way with diffi- 

 culty through the pathless territory. It is practically hopeless to try to force this taiga 

 with heavily loaded pack-horses, not only because of the fallen trees and the denseness 

 of the wood, through which men in advance are obliged to cut their way yard by yard, 

 but especially so on account of difficulties caused by the extensive swamps and headlong 

 declivilii's. The traveller forcing his way through the virgin forests in these regions, will 

 have, above all, to take into account the natural obstacles to be met with, the real di- 

 stances being rather delusive. 



Here and there, open places in the wood are covered with a dense vegetation up 

 to 1K> m. high, nearly exclusively consisting of Veratrum album, or elsewhere with 

 various fi'ins, such as Athijrium Filix femina, Aspidium spinulosum, Aspidium dilatatum. 



Fig. 27. Open place in the taiga near Semiretska, grown chiefly 



with various ferns such as Athgriiim Filix /emina. Aspidium 



spinulosum, Onoclea Struthopteris, and others. 



Pteridium [aquilimim, Onoclea Struthopteris etc. Of other species of ferns which are 

 to be met with in the taiga, I will mention: 



Cystopteris fragilis, Woodsia ilvensis subspec. alpina et subspec. rufidula, Asplenium 

 viride, Asplenium septentrionale, Asplenium Ruta muraria (occurring especially on rocks) 



50 



