Some Points in the Anatomy of Chrysoma pauciflosculosa 



By Franxis E. Lloyd 



The material upon which these notes are based was collected 

 by the writer on Cat Island, one of the Mississippi Sound series. 

 This region lies in the northern edge of the tropical life zone, and 

 is characterized by the presence of a goodly number of tropical 

 strand plants, f Chrysoma pauciflosculosa, may be considered as one 

 of these, indigenous to America, with a northern range extending 

 to South Carolina on the Atlantic Coast. Its habitat according 

 to Chapman % is " sandy banks and shores," and appears to be a 

 halophytic plant, at least in some localities. The plant is a shrub 

 a meter or over in height, having vertical isolateral leaves. These 

 are rigid, with three prominent longitudinal views, and are covered 

 with an aromatic gummy exudate. 



Using the floral characters as a basis the plant has been by some 

 authors referred to the genus Solidago, from which it was separated 

 first by Nuttall, who has been followed more recently by Greene. 

 The reasons for which this has been done are found in the habit, 

 woody character, and inflorescence of the plant. It is our present 

 purpose to examine more particularly some points in the anatomy 

 of the leaf. 



In shape the leaf is narrowly elliptical, tapering into a short 

 petiole. When examined by transmitted light it appears " pel- 

 lucidly punctate " an appearance which is due to the peculiar ar- 

 rangement of the internal tissues and not to accumulations of a 

 secretion in cavities, as for example, in the Hypericaceae. Further 

 observation by reflected light shows that each of the polygonal, 



Shortly before her death Dr. Emily L. Gregory, with whom two of her students, 

 iss Alice M. Isaacs and Miss Marion Satterlee, worked in collaboration, examined this 

 Plant. The results of their observations were presented in a paper read before the 

 Torrey Botanical Club on January 14, 1896. Had Dr. Gregory's death not occurred, the 

 Paper would undoubtedly have been published. The writer has very kindly been given 

 access to these results by Miss Isaacs, whom he wishes here to thank. The present 

 paper is largely a verification of the observations presented in 1S96. 



fFor a fuller account of this region see Lloyd, F. E., and Tracy, S. M., The In- 

 sular Flora of Mississippi and Louisiana Bull. Torr. Club, 28 : 61-101. 1901. 



M 



t Flora of Southern States. 



445 



