166 



Transactions. 



giving off rather long adventitious roots and leaves at short intervals. 

 Stem reddish in parts, with tiny white hairs. 



Leaves glabrous, bright green, sessile, f-1 in. long, in shape usually 

 oblong-ovate or linear-oblong, tips obtuse usually, margins denticulate, 

 pinnately veined, midrib prominent, leaves on erect stems decussate. 



Fruit a capsule, about 2 in. long, T V _ ro m - wide; four carpels, each 

 carpel forming a rounded ridge ; numerous seeds, small and brown, sur- 

 mounted by tuft of white silky hairs. 



Epidermis : On both 

 frequent, prominent. 



(c.) Leaf -anatomy. 

 surfaces walls thin, wavy, 



no cuticle ; stomata 



Fig. 1 



Fig. 2. 



Fig. 1. — Epilobium Billardierianum : Growth-form with creeping stem. 

 Fig. 2. — Epilobium Billardierianum : Erect stem with decussate leaves. 



Chlorenchyma differentiated ; on 

 upper surface large rounded cells, 

 elongated like palisade cells; towards 

 lower surface spongy mesophyll with 

 large intercellular spaces ; chloro- 

 plasts large and round ; crystals 

 (raphides) found commonly in the 

 mesophyll. 



Fibro - vasctilar bundles : Large 

 vein in midrib surrounded by mass 

 of colourless parenchyma ; a few 

 smaller bundles appear in transverse 

 section in the mesophyll. 



(d.) Conclusion. 



This plant is evidently a strong 

 mesophyte, from the following cha- 

 racters : Leaf delicate and green, 

 no cuticle, prominent stomata, epi- 

 dermal cell walls thin, structure 

 of chlorenchyma, large intercellular 

 spaces. 



fruit 

 (capsule) 



| 4 va/res of 

 'cfeh/sced capsu/e 



Fig. 3. — Epilobium Billardierianum 

 Flowering stem. 



