A TAMAR1X ASSOCIATION. 199 



ericoides remains shrubby. The distribution -and biology of these species will 

 be the subject of further study. 



The following is a list of the plants found amongst or beside the tamarix 

 with the exception of one or two lost in drying : — 

 Lythrace.e : Ammania salicifolia. 

 iComposiTj-e : Ageratum ' conyzotdes, 



Eclipta alia. 

 Sph tei'anthus indicus. 

 Ficoide^e : Trianthema monegyna. 



Amarantace/E : Achyranthes aspera. 

 Celosia argentea. 

 A marantus paniculatus. 

 Alternanthcra sessilis. 

 'GrRAMiNEyE : Chloris montana. 



Eragrostis pilosa. 

 Eragrostis interrupta, 

 Panicum colonum. 

 Isocline australis. 

 Andropogon lialepeusis. 

 For the identification of these plants I am indebted to Messrs. Bhide, 

 -and Paranjpe, Assistant Economic Botanists, Agricultural College, Poona. 



The Lythracem are subdivided by Hooker into two tribes, the Ammanieoi 

 and the Lyihrece. The Ammanieoi are a distinctly moisture loving group. 



Several of its members are weeds of rice fields. I have found Ammania 

 species in damp saltish lands in the Konkan and near Baramati. The species 

 found at Broach, Ammania salicifolia, is exceedingly widely distributed in India, 

 being reported from practically every province. According to Solereder, the 

 Lythracece very often have epidermal mucilage cells in the leaf. The genus 

 Ammania possesses these and they have doubtless some biological significance. 

 The Compositce found are of wide distribution in all warm climates. 

 Ageratum conyzotdes and Eclipta alba are common weeds of fields and way- 

 sides in India. Sphceranthus indicus is reported in rice fields. 



The distribution of Trianth-ema, monogyna is also very wide. It is found in 

 Malaya, Western Asia, Africa and Tropic America. The anatomy of the 

 Ficoidea has been the subject of repeated study. The stem structure has 

 been shown to be anomalous. Successive arcs of meristem appear in the 

 pericycle giving rise to concentric rows of secondary vascular bundles and inter- 

 mediate tissue (Morot). As an adaptation to the dry regions which the members 

 of this order inhabit, they are provided with water storing cells in the leaf 

 epidermis. 



The Amarantacece cannot be said to be distinctly haloplytic or xerophytic 

 though they can put up with fairly dry conditions. The A marantns panicula- 

 tus found was a single specimen, probably an escape. It was small, only about 

 thirty centimetres high, with no fasciation. Achyranthes aspera is a well known 



