Betts. — Aut ecology of Plants of Peridotiti Belt, Nelson. 233 



The palisade and the spongy parenchyma, the lower epidermis, and the 

 stomates are the same as in iV. fusca, but on the lower surface some of the 

 epidermal cells are produced into unicellular hairs, which have thin non- 

 cutinized walls. There is a thick cuticle on the lower surface. Many of the 

 mesophvll cells and the cells of both the lower and the upper epidermis 

 contain tannin. 



The vascular bundles are the same as in .V. fusca. but the midrib is 

 smaller. 



Stem. — The structure is essentially the same as in N. fusca, the only 

 differences being— (1) There are more pericycle fibres; (2) the phloem 

 forms a wider band ; (3) the pith cells do not contain starch ; (4) there 

 are more numerous vessels of large diameter. 



3. Exocarpus Bidwillii Hook. f. 



Growth - form. - -" A small much - branched rigid procumbent shrub 

 6-24 in. high, branches ascending, short, stiff, terete, deeply furrowed. 

 Leaves reduced to minute triangular scales, alternate, persistent." 



Fig. 1. — Exocarpus Bidwillii. Portion of plant (£ natural size). 

 a. fruit ; b, leaves reduced to triangular scales. 



A portion of the plant is shown in fig. 1, which also shows the fruit, 

 which is seated on the much-enlarged thickened red and succulent peduncle. 

 The perianth-segments are persistent under the fruit. 



Anatomy. 



Stem (figs. 2-4). — The structure of the stem is shown roughly in fig. 2. 

 From this it will be seen that the furrows are lined with stiff hairs, that 

 there is a thick cuticle, &c. The more detailed structure of the stem is 

 shown in fig;. 4. 



The epidermis consists of small squarish cells with thin cell-walls and 

 an extremely thick cuticle. In the furrows the epidermal cells are larger 

 and there is only a thin cuticle. Many of the epidermal cells in the furrows 

 are produced into stiff hairs, which have thick walls which are cuticularized. 

 In the furrows are the stomates, but these cannot be seen well in transverse 

 section, as their long axes are placed transversely to the surface of the stem. 



