— 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 

 shorl-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/?, oxiana 

 and R. 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- 



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