researches have become rather defective. In the most western parts of the steppe, the 

 flowering season occurs already in April, and further to the east only in May, however, in 

 contradistinction to the north-eastern part of the land, where the flowering begins as late 

 as in June and July. 



At Tapsa (roughly 760 m. above sea-level), at this time of the year, I have obser- 

 ved the following rather characteristic plants: 



Tribuliis terrestris, Medicago lupulina, Coluria geoides. Odontites rubra, Lotus 

 corniculatus, Astragalus melilotoides, Veronica pinnata, Leonurus talaricus^Jiromus 

 inermis, Elymus dasystachys, Elymus junceus, Urtica dioica, and of shrubs: 



Fig. 68. From the river Ulukem. Nearly nalced declivities stretching towards the river; 

 only the banks and the islets grown with straggling trees. 



Cotoneaster melanocarpa, Caragana arborescens, Caragana spinosa, and along 



the river: 



Alnus fruticosa, Populus nigra, Populus laurifolia, Populus tremula, Salix spec, and 

 some others are seldom absent. On sandy ground in the river, I have collected SaZix 

 viminalis and Cuscuta lap uli for mis. Farther up the river, Caragana jubata also occurs 

 as a very characteristic plant of this region. 



10 



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