346 Transactions. — Botany. 



peared mostly near the end of the leaf, in the axil of the 

 midrib, and veins not visible to the naked eye. They are 

 usually two in number, placed opposite to one another ; but 

 sometimes there are no pits at all present. The structure of 

 the leaf in transverse section is seen in fig. 14. The leaf is 

 very similar to that of Coprosma propingua. On the upper 

 surface a cuticle with a surface slightly irregular ; an epi- 

 dermis of large cells, almost square in shape, that may func- 

 tion as a storage layer (ep.) ; two or three layers of typical 

 palisade parenchyma (p. p.), with the usual contents, the 

 chlorophyll corpuscles (chl.) being irregularly scattered ; then 

 typical spongy parenchyma (sp.), with less numerous though 

 still many corpuscles, also irregularly scattered ; then the 

 epidermis of the lower surface (I. ep.) of much smaller cells ; 

 a cuticle (cu.) with a wavy outline ; and numerous stomata 

 (st.) y with pear-shaped guard-cells (g.), and slightly modified 

 subsidiary cells (s.). There are, however, no hairs present in 

 the pit. Next to the epidermis of the pit (p. ep.), which is 

 similar to that of the lower surface, and. has a cuticle (cu.) 

 with the same wavy outline, is a single layer of roundish 

 colourless cells (c. I.) ; next to that a layer (x.) of cells approxi- 

 mating to these in shape, but containing a few chlorophyll 

 corpuscles. These cells are intermediate between the colour- 

 less layer and the spongy parenchyma which surrounds 

 them. 



Coprosma fcetidissima. Forst., Char. Gen., 138. 



The upper and lower surfaces of the leaf are shown m 

 fig. 24. The pits are few in number, and are situated in- 

 the axils of the midrib (to.) and primary veins. On the lower 

 surface no veins are visible to the naked eye, and the opening 

 of the pit (p.) appears to be very small. On the upper surface 

 a slight protuberance (pro.) is seen, as well as the primary 

 veins (p. v.). The structure of the leaf in transverse section is 

 as follows (fig. 15) : On the upper surface a cuticle (cu.) with 

 a wavy outline ; an epidermis (ep.) of cells slightly elongated 

 in a transverse direction ; beneath that a layer of cells (ho.) 

 intermediate between a hypodermal storage layer and the 

 palisade cells. They are like the palisade cells in shape, but 

 contain very few chlorophyll corpuscles. Beneath them are 

 two or three layers of palisade cells (p.p.), with numerous 

 chlorophyll corpuscles (chl.) massed together in the middle 

 of the cells as almost globular aggregates. These cells are 

 broader than are those of the species hitherto described. 

 Below them comes typical spongy parenchyma, with less 

 numerous chlorophyll corpuscles irregularly scattered; and 

 on the lower surface is an epidermis (I. ep.) of small cells, 

 with a thin cuticle (cu.) and numerous stomata (st.). The 



