vi.] CHANGES FROM SUCCULENCY 53 



to disappear when a new combination of sur- 

 rounding conditions is supplied to the plant : 

 thus M. Battandier l cultivated Sedum Clusianum, 

 and the leaves at once began to assume a flatter 

 character ; and he remarks as a coincidence that 

 the two species, S. stellatum and S. tuber osum, 

 which are not rupicolous in France, but inhabit 

 wet places, have flat leaves. On the other hand, 

 I have found those of S. stellatum growing in 

 cracks between the flat slabs of rock in Malta in 

 an exposed, heated spot, were always cylindrical. 

 M. Battandier also says that two other species 

 were not rupicolous, but grow in dry earth, viz : 

 8. rubens and S. Magnoli, have flat leaves 

 in a wet season, but cylindrical ones in a dry 

 summer. Similarly, the common maritime fleshy 

 samphire, Crithmum maritimum, when culti- 

 vated in a garden, become luxuriant, and had 

 flat and smooth leaves. 



As another example, M. Costantin observed 2 

 that Salsola Kali, our common saltwort, grows 

 up sandy rivers from the maritime salt marshes, 

 when it passes into S. Tragus by losing the 

 usual character of its leaves. 



The most elaborate series of experiments to 

 test the source of the succulency of maritime 

 plants was earned out by M. Lesage, who 

 showed, conclusively, that the presence of salt 



1 Bull, de la Soc. Bot. de Fr., 1886, p. 191. 



2 Journ. de Bot., 15 Mars, 1887. 



