526 ON SEEDLINGS 



Stem erect, quadrangular in the seedling stage, glabrous, and 

 entirely covered by the decurrent and adnate bases of the leaves, 

 deep green, ultimately woody ; 1st internode undeveloped and all 

 the rest very short. 



Leaves simple, entire, cauline, verticillate, exstipulate, sessile, 

 wholly adnate to the stem except the small tooth-like tips, glabrous, 

 deep green, with pale margins to the tooth-like tips, without any dis- 

 cernible venation, the whorls alternating one with another, and by so 

 doing forming the short alternating angles of the stem which cor- 

 respond with the lengths of the decurrent leaves and the internodes. 



Nos. 1 and 2. Very short, opposite, almost arising from the same 

 level as the cotyledons and followed by nineteen whorls consisting 

 each of four leaves, forming the angles of the stem, and decussating 

 or alternating one with another, with very minute free tips. 



Casuarina stricta, Ait. (fig. 665). 



Hypocotyl erect, terete, rising about 3 cm. above the soil. 



Cotyledons ovate-oblong, sessile, connate, and appearing per- 

 foliate, narrowed upwards to an obtuse point, horizontal, 7'5 mm. 

 long, and 3 mm. wide. 



Stem erect, ridged and furrowed, owing to the base of the 

 scale-like leaves being decurrent upon it ; 1st internode very short ; 

 2nd and 3rd 8 mm. long ; 4th to 6th 9 mm. ; succeeding ones 

 shorter. The stem and branches are articulated much like those 

 of an Equisetum, and the branches or the smaller ones ultimately 

 become disarticulated and fall like deciduous leaves. 



Leaves simple, cauline, whorled, with the whorls decussating, 

 reduced to small scales, sometimes more or less connate at the 

 base and sheathing the stem, the midribs decurrent upon the latter 

 forming slender ridges, those above alternating with those below 

 each whorl. The number of leaves in a whorl varies from four 

 to many, according to the thickness of the young shoots bearing 

 them. 



CUPULIFER.E. 



Benth. et Hook. Gen. PL iii. 402. 



Fruit and Seed. The ovary is inferior, and during the 

 period of flowering often appears quite solid, but after fertili- 

 sation it becomes more or less perfectly two- to three-celled, 



