— 207 — 
survives till the next vegetative period. The bark of the 
persistent part is brown. 
The leaves are 2—4 centimetres long, linear-lanceolate. 
They are grey with salt-excretions which take the form of 
small white spots over depressions at the bottom of which 
the secreting glands are found. The structure of these (fig. 
46 B) is very similar to that of the glands figured by VOLKENS 
(tab. V) from R. hirtella. VOoLKkEns was of opinion that 
during the night the excreted salts absorbed water from the 
atmosphere (dew), which might then be absorbed by the 
Fig. 46. Reaumuria oxiana. A and B parts of leaf in transverse section; 
in A sclerenchyma-cells are seen; B, a salt-gland. X 202. C, Surface section 
of palisade tissue, showing palisade-cells and sclerenchyma-cells intermingled. 
gland and thus be utilised by the plant. MARLOTH (1887 
p. 321) denies this and states that it is impossible for the 
glands of the leaf to absorb water from the surface without 
at the same time absorbing the salts. On the contrary the 
salt solution on the surface must absorb water from the 
gland, and according to Firrinc this is what takes place 
(l. e. p. 267 note). And still more important, FirtinG has 
arrived at the result that plants in the desert store salt 
