398 MB. M. p. PRICE ON THE VEGETATION OF 



Atraphaxis lanceolata, EcUnops Eitro, Potentilla Anserina, Leonurus lanatus. 

 The following new types were seen for the first time in their apparently 

 most northerly limit : — Setaria riridis, CannaUs sativa, Halimodeiidron 

 argenteiim, Haloxylon Ammodendron, and Astragalus Pallasii. 



Proceeding southwards, the hills, which lay between 1700 and 2300 feet, 

 were replaced by a plain, which lay between 1500 and 1700 feet. The plain 

 was largely alluvial, with some patches of blown sand near the Black Irtish 

 River. As the river meandered north-westwards it was covered with breaks 

 of Poplar and Willow. On the alluvial desert there appeared Halimodeiidron 

 argenteiim, Sophora alopecuroides, (jrlycyrrldza vralensis, Evrotia ceratoides, 

 var., Artemisia Lerclieana, Elijmus giganteus, and Tamarix sp. Leaving this 

 low-lying plain and proceeding southwards the altitude rose to a plateau, 

 which lay to the north-east of the 8air mountains. This range, which runs 

 roughly ea.st and west, joins on to the offshoots of the Tarbagatai and 

 Barlik mountains and forms part of the disjointed range which runs across 

 Dzungaria from south-west to north-east. The plateau to the south of the 

 Sair mountains, which was drained hy the Kobuk River, lay between 2000 

 and 5000 feet. On it were found Anemone Bungeana (the same as in North- 

 West Mongolia), Anemone patens. Iris ensata, Artemisia Lerclieana, and 

 Spirrea hipericifolia. On rising to 5500 feet on a pass connecting a southern 

 offshoot of the Sair mountains with a northern offshoot of the Barlik, small 

 patches of LarLv sihirica were seen in places sheltered from the sun. With 

 it were also the accompanying flora, characteristic of Southern Siberia and 

 North- West Mongolia, nenneiy, Aconitnm sp., Potentilla hifurca var. ranescens, 

 Rosa spinosissima, Anemone Bungeana, and J unip eras pseudo-sal lina. 



Descending to the plain of the River Emil, which flows westwards into 

 Lake Ala Kul, the altitude was found to lie between 1600 and 2500 feet and 

 largely consisted of alluvium. In the highest and driest parts of the plain 

 Artemisia Lerclieana, Stipia capillata, and Anemone patens were predominanf ; 

 while in the lower parts nearer the water-table the following species 

 predominated : Gl/jci/rrJiiza uralensis and Eli/miis dasijstachys. 



South of the plain of the Emil and on the northern slopes of the Barlik 

 mountains were found the most northerly specimens of Picea Schrenkiana, 

 accompanied by an association partly characteristic of the Larch forest of 

 North- West Mongolia, but containing also many new species. Unfortunately 

 the expedition reached this point too late in the year to obtain representative 

 specimens of the flora, for the snow had already begun to cover the altitudes 

 which lay between 5000 and 6000 feet. It was observed, however, that the 

 most southerly limit of Lari.c sihirica was on the southern slopes of the Sair 

 mountains, while the most northerly limit of Picea SckrenMana lay on the 

 northern side of the Barlik mountains. Crossing the Ala Tau mountains on 

 the way to Kuldja and the Hi, large forests of Picea Schrenkiana were 

 observed rising to an altitude of over 9000 feet, but the snow was too deep 

 fo enable any investigation of the ground flora to be made. 



