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be distinguished from A. Lehmanni, is more thorny, the 

 petiolar rachis-thorn being longer, while the stipules are 

 always present as thorns. A. Eichwaldii is a stunted, closely 

 branched shrub with two pairs of leaflets. Biologically these 

 species are closely related. 



Ammothamnus Lehmanni Bge. 



This I have not examined in its habitat, and only know 

 from herbarium-specimens and descriptions. It is a shrub 

 scarcely attaining the height of one metre. The leaves which 

 have small linear stipules are long and pinnate with 7 — 13 

 leaflets. These are obovate, cuneate at the base and broad, 

 but small (less than one centimetre long). They are green, 

 but like the year-shoots are provided with stiff hairs. The 

 distal part of the year-shoot dies away (always?), and the 

 new shoots arise from the apex of the surviving part. The 

 white flowers are arranged in a raceme, they come out in 

 April. The fruit is a long velvet- haired pod, spirally twisted, 

 and containing many seeds. 



The leaves are isolateral in structure with stomata on 

 both sides, 3 — 4 layers of short palisade cells on each side 

 and almost devoid of spongy mesophyll. 



Smirnowia turkestana Bge. 



A shrub attaining the height of about 1 metre. It is a 

 true desert-plant and is most frequently found on clayey 

 soil. The outer bark peels off the older branches in long 

 shreds and then the branches turn yellowish. A coat of 

 hairs makes all the younger parts look greyish. The leaves 

 are simple and almost circular with a diameter not exceeding 

 1,5 centimetres. As a result of the petioles turning or bending, 

 the leaves assume a vertical position. 



The year-shoots are branched, many of the axils bearing 

 rather short leafy branches which only live through one 

 vegetative period; they are thus true assimilation-branches. 

 The distal part of the year -shoot itself is also annual; 

 sometimes only a very short piece at the base survives. The 



