— 209 — 
ally less than 1 cm., and bear leaves like the year-shoot. 
The leaves are small about 2 mm. long, but comparatively 
broad and flat and besprinkled with salt-grains. The rosette 
short-shoots are found in every axil except occasionally the 
ones which bear the branches with extended internodes. 
They carry about 12 leaves, shorter, thicker and more per- 
sistent than the subtending leaves. Rosette-shoots are also 
formed on old year-shoots, and altogether they are the most 
important assimilating organs of the plant. 
I have not seen the flower. 
The anatomy of the leaves is similar to that of À. oxiana 
and À. hirtella (VOLKENS), and also discussed by VESQUE, but 
his statements do not quite agree with what I have found; 
for instance he finds no mechanical tissue. — The epidermis 
is very thick and the epidermal cells are almost filled with 
mucilage from the outer wall. Sunk stomata and salt-glands 
occur, the latter being similar in structure to those of the 
preceeding species. There are two or more layers of palisade 
cells extending all the way round, and starch-sheaths enclose 
the veins. Large bands of sclerenchyma are present, irregul- 
arly arranged, but I have not found idioblasts between the 
palisade cells. 
Tamarix. 
Fifteen species of this genus have been recorded for 
Turkestan. They only thrive as a rule in places which are 
not too dry. On river-banks they are very abundant and 
ANTONOW says (see above p. 33) that Tamarisk in the desert 
is a sign of water not far off. In the sand-desert they are 
able to some extent to hold their own against the sand 
(comp. above p. 127—128) and where they are present water is 
presumably not very far down. They have long, vertical and 
obliquely descending roots. Under favourable conditions they 
are trees with thick foliage, but are only small shrubs under 
unfavourable conditions. 
The leaves of Tamarisks, as is well known, are small 
green scales. The plant does not shed its leaves but the 
branches which bear the leaves, except in the case of per- 
14 
