DBOUGHT KESISTING PLANTS IN THE DECCAN. 33 



than the average. The branches of the plant also were fewer and 

 much shorter. The root of the plant was peculiar. It was about 

 two feet long and i inch in diameter over the greater part of its 

 length and practically without lateral branches. 



12. Tridax procumbens L.— Very common. It was found 

 on brown rather sticky soil at Belapur on May 7, 1919. The soil 

 round the roots contained 2'61 per cent, of available moisture. 



In different situations the plant varies as regards the length of 

 the branches, the size of the loaves, and their hairiness. 



In the present instance the size of the leaves was slightly re- 

 duced and the hairiness somewhat more accentuated than usual. 

 The root was a slender tap root 6 — 9 inches long and about § inch in 

 diameter, devoid of lateral branches, but with a few minute feeding 

 roots in the lower half. 



13. Vernonia cioerea Less. — Common. It was found on 

 brown rather sticky soil at Belapur, on May 7, 1919. The soil round 

 the roots contained 2'24 per cent, of available moisture. 



The plant shows variation as regards size in different situations, 

 and in the present instance also the plants were shorter and the 

 leaves smaller, the root was a tap root 6 — 9 inches long and about i — 

 g inch in thickness, apparently without any lateral branches. 



14. Cocculus villosus DC— Common. It was found on light 

 to medium black soil which was not sticky, at Belapur, on May 7, 

 1919. The soil round the roots contained 2"22 per cent, of available 

 moisture. 



This plant also showed only reduction in the length of the stem 

 branches and in the leaf surface as usual. The root of the plant was 

 about a foot and a half long and about | — 3 inch in diameter apparently 

 without any lateral branches. 



15. Morinda tinctoria Boxb.— var. tomentosa. It was found 

 in medium black sticky soil at Newasa * in the Ahmednagar district, 

 on May 8, 1919. The soil round the roots contained 3.93 per cent, 

 of available moisture. 



The plant grows into a shrub or small tree, and in the present 

 instance the plant was apparently a root-sucker. There were several 

 other similar root suckers close by. They showed no deviation from 

 the normal. The root was long, about I inch in diameter with slender 

 laterals spreading about eight inches below the soil. 



16. Caralluma fimbriata Wall— It was found on May 8, 

 1919, at Newasa in a limy soil which though dusty was inclined to 

 be sticky, and contained round the roots 202 per cent, of available 

 moisture. 



* Rainfall comparable with that of Shevgaon as shown above. 



640—5 



