326 DR, E. DE FRAINE ON THE 
(ht., text-fig. 5, 1), fused bract-sheath (bs., text-fig. 5, 2 & 3), and adnate 
bract-sheath (ba., text-fig. 5, 4-6). The vascular supply of the bracts is also 
exactly comparable to that of the leaves, for two strands pass out at the node, 
one to each bract, each divides up into three, the median branch supplying 
the free bract-tip, the two lateral curving outwards 
and downwards, their branches supplying the fused, 
decurrent part of the bract. The three flowers of a 
cyme arise at the node, in the axil of the bract, as 
is illustrated in text-fig. 5, 3-4, c.4, с.2, c.3 repre- 
senting the flowers of one bract, e!./, ¢!.2, е1.3 those 
of the second bract of the pair. The two lateral flowers 
arise lowest on the axis (е.7, ¢.2, text-fip. 5, 2-3), 
the central one, ¢.3, being placed slightly above them. 
Owing to the lateral compression exercised by the two 
groups of flowers (1.4, 1.2, text-fig. 5, 5-6) of the node 
immediately below, the fused bracteal sheath again 
becomes two separate structures in the lower adnate 
region. 
In connection with the close agreement between the 
braets of the flowering spike and the leaves of the 
vegetative shoot, an interesting feature was observed 
in a plant of 5. herbacea, collected at Cley (on the 
| Norfolk coast). The whole plant was characterised by 
Interrupted spike of the possession of interrupted spikes of sterile and fertile 
sterile and fertile seg- . V. . 
ments of S. europea. segments. Text-fig. 6 illustrates one such spike. 
The strueture of the flowering shoot thus lends 
additional support to the foliar sheath theory of the succulent cortex 
of the Salicorniex. 
4. The Leaf-fall. 
In the perennial species periodic shedding of the succulent, foliar sheath 
occurs in the autumn, while the annual forms similarly shed their foliar 
organs towards the close of their flowering period. The leaf-fall takes place 
in regular sequence, beginning with the foliar coating and extending upwards 
throughout the length of the shoot. Preparation for the defoliation ean be 
detected at least three or four segments above the one in which it is actually 
taking place. The first sign of it appears in the gradual suberisation of the 
cells of the limiting layer of the stem tissue. As has already been pointed 
out, this layer is always sharply marked off from the foliar tissues by the 
size, shape, and regular arrangement of its elements (cf. s.l., fig. 1, Pl. 15). 
Suberisation, whieh begins in this cell-layer, extends inwards until the four 
or five outermost layers of tissue are affected. This condition is arrived at. 
