SUMMARY OF KKSULTS. 41 



SUMMARY. 



The leading results of this study may be summari/ed as follows: 



1. Young stems of desert perennials contain chlorophyll in most of the 

 parenchyma, both of cortex and of woody cylinder. The most important 

 chlorophyll-bearing" tissue appears in transverse sections of the stem as a 

 band in the outer part of the cortex. 



2. The epidermis of branches of /\irkinso/iia 1 cm. in diameter may 

 contain chlorophyll. 



3. Chlorophyll is present in the phellodcrm of the following species: 

 Celtis pal/ida, Condalia spathnlaca, Olneya tesota. 



4. There is no chlorophyll in the woody cylinder of Aster spinos/ts or 

 Baccharis emoryi. 



5. The woody cylinder in young stems of Ephedra antisypliilitica and of 

 Olneya tesota do not contain chlorophyll; in older stems the woody cylinder 

 of both is chlorophyllaceous. 



6. The chlorophyll band in the stems of Cereus, Foi/itieria, Kramer ia, 

 Parkinsonia, and probably also in Zizyp/uts, persists throughout the life of 

 the member bearing it. In most plants it is ultimately cut off through 

 the formation of cork. 



7. As regards foliar habits the plants studied may be classified into two 

 groups, which, however, are not always well marked. In one class leaves 

 are either rudimentary or wanting; in the other, leaves are present at least 

 during the favorable seasons, /. e., when the water-supply is adequate to 

 their needs. 



8. The differences in leaf -covering are accompanied by fairly consistent 

 morphological differences, as follows: The plants with reduced leaf-surface, 

 or with no leaves, have palisade ehlorenchyma in the cortex; the chloro- 

 phyll band, at least in young stems, lies near the surface; the tissues exte- 

 rior to the band in young and generally in old leaves do not exhibit pro- 

 tective devices. Plants with a more pronounced leaf-surface, on the other 

 hand, have a spongy ehlorenchyma in the cortex; it is usually more deeply 

 placed; and the exterior tissue usually has some protective arrangements, 

 as pigmented cells or a hairy covering. 



9. The greatest depth at which functional chlorophyll was found ranged 

 from 0.38 mm. in Kceberlinia spinosa to 6.6 mm. in Cereus giganteus . This 

 is from 0.5 to 165 times deeper than the greatest depth of chlorophyll in 

 ordinary leaves. 



10. The depth of penetration is probably limited by the air-supply rather 

 than the supply of light. 



11. The chlorophyll band of the stem constitutes practically the sole 

 engine for carbon assimilation in Aster spinosiis, Baccharis emoryi, Cereus 

 giganteus, Kceberlinia spinosa, Krameria canescens, and the most important 



