168 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



condition at that time as to furnish sufficient material for their 

 identificaticm. Of the 345 indigenous plants about '60 only are trees, 

 95 shrubs and undershrubs : all the rest are herbs, mostly perennials. 

 Almost all the plants have a wide geographical distribution with 

 reoard to the Indian as well as to the extra-Indian region. No ende- 

 mic species has been found as yet. Cutch has over 200 species in 

 common with Sind and about 160 with Gujarat. Of the latter about 

 70 do not occur in Sind, whilst of the former over 80 have not been 

 found in Gujarat. If we consider that Cutch is a countiy with a long- 

 dry season, that the soil is mostly sandy or rocky, that salt is present 

 in the soil not only along the sea shore and in the vicinity of the 

 Great Rann, but more or less all over the country, we shall find it quite 

 natural that most of the plants of Cutch exhibit a remarkable general 

 similarity and agree in having a lower rate of transpiration ihan 

 plants living in places where plenty of water is available ; in short 

 that the vegetation shows a distinct xerophytic character. Nearly all 

 the structural features by which transpiration is reduced may be 

 observed in the flora of Cutch : A thick cuticle upon the epidermis 

 of the leaves, reduction of the number of stomata, depression of the 

 stomata, a thick covering of hairs, reduction of the transpiring surface, 

 formation of aqueous tissue, etc. In the following we shall examine 

 a number of plants in which the xerophytic character is best express- 

 ed, indicating briefly the special contrivances by which reduction of 

 transpiration is obtained. 



In Tinospora cordifolia a corky bark is formed ovei- the woody 

 parts of the plant and, thus, transpiration confined to the younger 

 parts and the leaves. 



Cocculus villosvs has the younger parts densely villous, also 

 the upper and lower surface of the leaves and the petioles. 

 Cocculus Jeceha shows similar formations to those of Tinospora 

 cordifolia. Farsetia jacqiiemoTttii, a rigid shrub, is covered all 

 over with appressed hairs, which, like a thick felt, reduce 

 excessive transpiration. The Order Capparidacecc shows a great 

 variety of adaptations to a dry climate. Cleome monophylla is 

 covered with pubescence and even the capsules are clothed with 

 short stout hairs. Cleome stocksiana is jtartly protected by having 

 fleshy leaves which store up a considerable quantity of water. 



In Cleome hrachycarpa the younger stems are covered with 



