— 245 — 
leaves are distinctly linear-lanceolate and bear single flowers 
in their axils (fig. 66, 4). The plant is coated with stellate 
hairs. The leaves are isolateral with about two layers of 
palisade cells on each side and a number of crystal-cells. 
The midrib is surrounded by a thick sclerenchyma extending 
often from epidermis to epidermis. The small veins are 
surrounded by translucent storage cells. The epidermis consists 
of one layer, not very thick-walled, and has stomata (not 
sunk) on both sides. 
In August Ceralocarpus resembles a spiny ball (fig. 66, 
B, C). The leaves are reduced so that only the midrib remains, 
and even if some still seem to retain their lamina, an ana- 
tomical examination shows that all the cells are collapsed 
and dead. At this season of the year all the leaves are thus 
reduced to thorns, and the 
assimilating functions are 
carried on by the two 
connate prophylis which 
form the two-thorned fruit- 
spathes (see fig. 66 C). 
A section of the wall 
of the fruit-spathe shows 
(fig. 67) that the inner 
surface is formed of two Fig. 67. Ceralocarpus arenarius. Trans- 
lignified thick-walled layers, (SE en be snc par 
the second of which shows 
no cell-cavities; beyond these skeleton-cell-layers there lies 
an assimilating parenchyma made up of one layer of short 
palisade cells and 1 or 2 layers of transverse cells loosely 
arranged. All the cells are filled with starch. The veins (N) 
are enclosed in bundles of bast above and below, especially 
the two veins situated near the two margins of the spathe. 
Cornulaca Korschinskyi Litw. 
An erect sand-desert plant thickly covered with short 
acicular leaves (fig. 68). Each leaf-axil gives rise to a rosette- 
shoot bearing many leaf-thorns, and in every leaf-axil, (i. e. 
on the lower parts of the leaves) there are a great number 
