Betts. — Auft'cologii of Planf.t of Pfridotite Bdf, Nelsov. 151 



less unequal-sided at the base than in G. lucida, and sometimes almost 

 symmetrical, pale yellowish-green, thick and coriaceous ; veins obscure ; 

 petiole slender, |-1 in. long." 



Mineral Belt Growth-form. — A woody shrub attaining a height of 

 about 6 ft. 



Anatomy. 



Leaf. — The structure of the leaf has been described and figured by Miss 

 Suckling {Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 46, pp. 186-87, 1914). My specimens 

 agree in leaf-structure with her description of the leaf of a well-illuminated 

 tree, excej)t that the hypodermal cells are larger than she figures. 



Stem. — The epidermis is comi)osecl of small oval cells, which contain 

 oil and which have thickened cell-walls, and in addition there is a thick 

 uneven cuticle which is of a light-green colour. 



The cortex is wide ; the cells are oval and thick-walled. In the outer 

 part the cortex is very compact, but in the inner part there are air-spaces 

 between the cells. 



The pericycle fibres do not form a continuous band round the phloem. 

 The fibres are of small diameter, and their walls are so much thickened 

 that the cell-cavities are almost obliterated. 



The phloem forms a wide continuous band. The xylem consists of vessels 

 and of wood-fibres, both of which are of fairly large diameter. 



The medullary rays are nearly all uniseriate, with thickened lignified 

 cell-walls. Tliese rays are numerous There are also a few multiseriate 

 rays 2-4 cells wide. 



The pith is formed of round cells with thickened lignified walls, and 

 containing abundant starch. Small intercellular air-spaces are present. 



21. Gaultheria antipoda Forst. var. 



Growth-form. — An erect much-branched rigid shrub 6-15 in. high. The 

 branches are stout, sometimes glabrous but usually more or less clothed 

 with a brownish pubescence. The leaves are alternate, shortly petiolate, 

 about I in. long, orbicular, obtuse, bluntly serrate, and very coriaceous. 

 The leaves are glabrous, except the petioles, which are pubescent. 



Anatomy. 



Leaf. — The upper epidermis consists of small rectangular cells. A thick 

 cuticle is present. The lower epidermal cells are smaller than the upper, 

 and the cuticle is not so thick. Stomates are confined to the lower surface, 

 and are protected by guard-cell ridges. Beneath the epidermis there is a 

 hypoderma — 1 layer of large cells with their walls slightly thickened. 



The palisade tissue is composed of 3 rows of thin-walled cells, which 

 contain numerous chloroplasts arranged along the lateral walls. There are 

 no air-spaces between these cells. The spongy tissue consists of irregular 

 loosely arranged thin- walled cells which contain numerous chloroplasts. 



The vascular bundles are numerous. Each is more or less surrounded 

 by stereome — small polygonal cells with very thick walls and small lumen. 

 The parenchymatous elements of the bundle contain tannin. 



Stem. — The epidermis is composed of small roundish cells with thickened 

 walls and with a thick cuticle. Some of the epidermal cells are produced 

 into long unicellular hairs, with thickened and slightly cutinized walls. 



In the section of an older stem the corky layer is thick, and is composed 

 of very small cells with thick walls 



