— 19 — 



been examined by many naturalists; but the papers contain- 

 ing the results of the journeys are scattered throughout 

 different periodicals, mostly Russian and often very difficult 

 of access. More especially during the later decades when it 

 has become a national feature to write in Russian, it is 

 very hard for anyone in western Europe to study Russian 

 literature. The publications on the botanical conditions of 

 the Transcaspian lowlands are — so far as we can ascer- 

 tain — mainly taxonomic, lists of plants and descriptions of 

 new species. There now exists a large amount of systematic 

 material which in recent years is gradually becoming arrang- 

 ed into consecutive floras, mainly through the works of 

 Fedtschenko. 



Very few descriptions of the vegetation exist, still less 

 any attempts at ecological treatment. What I have had ac- 

 cess to will be dealt with in this account, and Russian authors, 

 inaccessible to most people, will be reported in greater detail 

 than those who have written in the languages of western 

 Europe. 



Basiner's journey through the Kirghiz steppe to Chiwa. 

 This account dates from 1848. He travelled from Orenburg 

 to Chiwa, and he gives many lists of plants as well as brief 

 descriptions of the vegetation, and other botanical remarks. 

 The greater part of the territory where he travelled does not 

 belong to the areas dealt with in this work. Basiner de- 

 scribes the «steppe» between Orenburg and Usturt with its 

 three regions: The grass region, the transitional region and 

 the region of Chenopodiaceae of which the first is the most 

 northern, the last the most southern region. The region of 

 Chenopodiaceae is evidently closely related to the desert ot 

 the south, such as we deal with later on. Frequently the 

 soil is devoid of plants, yet in places a considerable number 

 of plants were found, but these form «keine heitere Hiille, 

 sondern hochstens ein dunkles Trauergewandt». The most 

 common plants are: Salsola brachiata, clavifolia, crassa, Kali, 

 Anabasis aphylla, Brachylepis salsa and Artemisia (Artemisia 

 fragrans). The number of Chenopodiaceae increase towards 

 the south and many individuals of a species were often found 

 in masses together. 



2* 



