FLORA OF CANADA. 
9 
ditions. The following species may, however, be mentioned as represent- 
ing the typical prairie flora 1 : Stipa viridula, Spartina gracilis, Avena Hook eri, 
Poa crocata, Calamovilfa longifolia , Elymus Macounii, Agropyrum Smithii, 
A. lenerum , A. Richardsonii, many species of Carex , Allium cerntium, 
Lilium philadelphicum, Smilacina stellala, Rumex persicarioides, Lychnis 
Drummondii , Anemone hirsutissima, Ranunculus rhomboideus, Lesquerella 
argentea , Sisymbrium incisum , Cleome serrulata, Potentilla arguta , P. Penn- 
sylvania , P. bipinnatifida , P. camporum, P. effusa, P. plattensis, P. pulcher- 
rima , P. viridescens , Geum triflorum , Thermopsis rhombifolia , ri stragalus 
caryocarpus, A. hypoglottis, A. adsurgens, A. bisulcatus , ^4. pectinatus , vl. 
missouriensis, Psoralea esculenta , P. argentea , Glycyrrhiza lepidota, 
P etalostemum candidum , P. purpureum , Hedysarum boreale, Zizia cordata, 
Lomatium macrocar pum , Musineum divaricatum , Asclepias ovalifolia, 
Acerates virdiflora, Phlox Hoodii , Agastache Fceniculum , Physostegia 
parvifiora, Monarda mollis , Pentstemon gracilis , Orthocarpus luteus , 
Lobelia spicata, Liatris scariosa, Grindelia squarrosa, Aster multiflorus, A. 
Icevis, Erigeron glabellus , P. philadelphicus, Antennaria campestris , Ambro- 
sia trifida, Lepachys columnaris, Llelianthus rhomboideus , Helenium autum- 
nale, Artemisia biennis , Senecio palustris, S. eremophilus , Cirsium 
undulatum , .4 gosms glauca. 
Third Prairie Steppe . — This steppe includes the rest of the prairie 
up to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. In its northern parts, z.e., 
north of lat. 52,° the flora is very similar to that of the second prairie 
steppe. The southern part of the region, however, is of an altogether 
different type. The rivers and even creeks are flowing in deep narrow 
valleys, and the country in general is broken by coulees and low hills. The 
precipitation is scant, and, as a result, the vegetation is xerophile and 
often desert-like in character. Except on Wood Mountain and Cypress 
Hills no trees occur, unless along the borders of the streams in the valleys. 
The ponds, marshes and lakes are not even fringed with shrubs. 
Large districts, especially in the Coteau de Missouri belt, are char- 
acterized by the absence of drainage valleys, the result being that the 
water in the lakes and ponds is generally saline, and that numerous 
alkali flats occur. The vegetation in such situations is very sparse and 
of course halophyte in character, the typical plants being Distichlis 
spicata, Hordeum jubatum , Puccinellia airoides, Corispermum hyssopi- 
folium , A triplex and Chenopodium species, Salicornia prostrata , Suceda 
depressa, Salsola Kali , Rumex mexicanus, Ranunculus Cymbalaria , 
Plantago eriopoda, Heliotropium curassavicum , Pleurogyne fontana, Crepis 
runcinata. In the saline ponds themselves, Ruppia maritima is common. 
1 For these and for other plants in the West only the Latin names are given, the reason being that 
the majority of the species characteristic of Western Canada have no generally recognized common 
names. 
