— 201 — 
PALEZzZKU says about 10'/2 metres and more, and JONSSON 
states that Saxaul has both deep-seeking vertical and long 
horizontal roots. The latter, according to ANTONOW (p. 29), 
can form aerial shoots. 
On account of its slow growth Saxaul is not much 
employed in sand-binding plantations. Yet, as stated above 
(p. 89), Lırsky denies that the growth is very slow. 
The leaves are reduced to small scales arranged in pairs 
opposite each other and united together. The young branches 
are long, slender and drooping (see for instance BEssEy, 
pl. 10, Lipsky 1911 pl. 4 and 5). 
The year-shoot is green, its bark containing the only 
assimilating tissue of the plant. Most of the shoots are set 
together towards the apex of the previous year-shoot, the 
distal part of which frequently dies away. Sometimes two 
shoots of the same age are seen in the same leaf-axil, one 
outside the other, but the outer one is generally more feebly 
developed, and it is improbable that both of them ever 
persist. The year-shoots are branched and they bear flower- 
ing short-shoots (see fig. 14). 
The flowers are inconspicuous and open in May. Each 
flower is protected by its subtending leaf-sheath and by two 
bracts. The perianth, on the contrary, is small before the 
anthesis but afterwards it grows larger. The fruit is a small 
nut loosely enveloped by the broad - winged perianth, and is 
ripe in October. 
The anatomy of Haloxylon has been described by GERNET, 
GHEORGHIEFF, WARMING and B. Jønsson. The structure of 
the assimilating shoot I found to be quite in accordance with 
that described and illustrated by WARMING (1897, p. 217), it 
is of the ordinary centric type. The epidermal tissue is three- 
layered. Assimilating tissue is also said to be present in the 
secondary bark. (B. Jonsson p. 7). As regards the mucilaginous 
cork in the bark mentioned by Jonsson, we refer to his memoir. 
Halostachys caspica (Pall.) C. A. M. 
A shrub which belongs to the clay- and salt-desert. 
O à 
Under specially favourable conditions it may attain a height 
