WALDROX— THE PEANUT 317 



stomata and lenticels. The epidermal layer of this has a few scat- 

 tered crystal cells similar to those found on the stem. 



The cortex is composed of six to eight layers of round thin walled 

 cells. Internal to this is the vascular system composed of a ring of 

 bundles, each with a large patch of highly lignified bast on its outer 

 side. 



Concerning the cambium layer, Pettit says, "There is an indication 

 of the formation of a cambium ring, although it never occurs even 

 in the oldest portion of the organ." She goes on to explain the ap- 

 parent presence of meristematic tissue between the bundles, which 

 the writer considers interfascicular cambium. She continues, "The 

 cells are, in their early stages, no larger than the pith cells, but as 

 they become older they increase rapidly in both tangential and radial 

 diameters. This process, however, appears insufficient to keep pace 

 with the growing intrafascicular cambium, and they now become 

 meristematic, forming new walls which are at first tangential; later 

 radial walls are found. In this manner arise clusters or bands of 

 relatively small cells extending from bundle to bundle. While 

 these small cells appear like the ordinary meristematic tissue of 

 stems whose cambium is formed after the bundles appear, they do 

 not continue meristematic; at least in the organs studied there is 

 little evidence that these small cells produce lasting tissue of any 

 kind, and none whatever of the formation of phloem and xylem ele- 

 ments." The above description is correct for the cause and manner 

 in which they develop and appear, but the writer feels that this 

 tissue is in all respects meristematic as a part of a continuous cam- 

 bium ring. The author has seen xylem and phloem elements cut 

 off from it to form secondary bundles, and thus proving that it has 

 the ability to form these. Also, the presence of such cells in a nearly 

 continuous line with the intrafascicular cambium suggests an hered- 

 itary tendency to form it even though it is less active than in other 

 stems. It does apparently connect the xylem patches, but so does 

 the corresponding tissue of many stems. The fact that they divide 

 even once is sufficient proof, since the resulting cells are permanent. 

 The pith is composed of thin walled cells stored with starch until 

 the fruit begins to form. Later the pith breaks down as does that 

 of the stem and the gynophore becomes more or less hollow. 



The anatomy of the subterranean part of the gynophore differs 

 from that above ground in the following ways: (i) All of the epi- 

 dermal cells become extended outward into long absorptive hairs 



