others. Near the upper Mmit of the forest, along brooks, in moist moss-grown places 

 in thickets, etc. Corltisa Matthioli^ is of rather common occurrence. Moreover are 

 to be found rather frequently here Saxifraga crassifolia, the splendid large-flowered 

 Irollius asiaticus var. slenopetala, and Caliha palusliis, frequently covering nearly as the 

 sole prevailing plant large moist hill-sides in this region. In irrigated grass-fields large 

 areas are often clad nearly exclusively with Allium Schoenoprasum, in full flower just 

 at the end of July, emitting a smell of onions perceptible at a great distance. In this 

 region there are also frequently to be found large Sphagnum swamps, which are now 

 partly overgrown with: 



Betula humilis, Vaccinium uliginosum subspec. imberbe nov. subspec, Carex 

 caespitosu, Carex pauciflora, Carex canescens, Vaccinium Oxycoccos. 



These magnificent regions will make an impression never to be obliterated on 

 every lover of nature who has had the fortune to travel here. 



However, before finishing the treatment of the subalpine forest region, I must also 

 briefly mention the extensive areas of burnt forest and various questions suggesting 

 themselves in connection with these. 



The sparse native population consisting of Soyotes, living scattered here in 

 small clans at intervals of hundreds of wersts, are very careless about fire. They are 

 also said designedly to fire the wood in order to procure open grazing grounds for their 

 reindeer, in this way burning small trees and brushwood, while the larger stems are 

 left, naked and black. In these scorched places there grows out in a short time a 

 dense, nearly impenetrable jungle, especially of Epilobium anguslifolium, «the fireweed» 

 reaching the height of a man, and rather higher still. In July, the flowering season of 

 the species, the red flowers, forming at this time a contrast to the dark wood, are 

 visible at a distance of several miles. This plant constituted in the early years almost 

 the only vegetation in similar places, which seemed almost to be shunned by beasts 

 and birds. Nor are these tracts of land inviting to man, being quite empty and 

 desolate, and very difficult to penetrate into because of the dry trunks in the course of 

 time having been blown down in every direction or interlaced in a chaotic disorder, which 

 renders it impossible to force a way. Forest fires are so common in the Urjankai land 

 that a traveller will always observe some when passing through these tracts in sum- 

 mer. Rather frequently, mighty clouds of smoke rise above the horizon, indicative 

 of some forest fire, now and then lasting for weeks, destroying large tracts of land without 

 any attempt being made to put it out. Sometimes, the lightning also sets fire to the 

 wood, which we had also occasion to see. 



Burnt, open areas of this sort in the forest, larger or smaller, extending to over 

 a great many wersts, are thus rather frequently to be met with and very characteristic 

 of the Urjankai country. The ground is dry, and apt to catch fire, and after a burn it 

 is long before the forest invades the ravaged places again, if ever it does so any more at 

 all. After a forest fire the ground is, as mentioned above, rather rapidly settled by a 

 very dense jungle of herbs, above all Epilobium anguslifolium, which, for a great number 



Areas with 

 marks after fo- 

 rest fires are 

 very characte- 

 ristic, especial- 

 ly of tlie lower 

 subalpine Iracts 

 of the Urjankai 

 country. 



0:5 



