352 WATEE FROM THE ROOTS OF THE RED MALLEE. 



the sap is least in the roots. Tliis would be a most interesting' 

 subject for further observation. It will be noticed that, in the 

 Red Mallee water, the proportions of soda and of chlorine are 

 high relative to the other ingredients. In a series of analyses of 

 Mallee soils published many years ago by the Agricultural Chemist 

 of Victoria, f the amounts of soda and of chlorine vary within 

 wide limits, the chlorine in one case rising as high as 0-20 per cent, 

 of the soil. This corresponds to about 0.33 per cent, of sodium 

 chloride, which is a high percentage for a soil, and is quite suffi- 

 cient to account for the large proportion of soda and chlorine in 

 the Mallee root-water. 



Not all samples of sap obtained in the manner of the Mallee 

 root-water are so dilute; Smith, for instance,} found enormously 

 greater amounts of both mineral and organic solids in the sap 

 from the timber of Grevillea robusta, while the juices of such 

 plants as the sugar-cane and sugar-maple, carry large percentages 

 of sugar, though not of mineral constituents; it must, however, he 

 remembered that in the case of these latter plants the sweet sap is 

 contained in special cells or vessels, and is not the ordinary cir- 

 culating sap, but apparently functions as a food reserve. In the 

 specimen of these roots exhibited by Mr. Fletcher, the cut ends 

 showed a remarkable assemblage of open vascular tubes, remind- 

 ing one strongly of a section of cane. From a consideration of the 

 circumstances, I am inclined to think that the Mallee root-water 

 may be a reserve supply for the use of the plant during droughty 

 conditions stored in special vessels. 



t Report Dept. of Agriculture. Victoria, 187. r >. 

 JProe. Roy. Soc. N. S. Wales. 1896, p. 194, 



