314 Oliver —On Sar codes sanguined , Tory. 
c bulbous ’ portion of the plant shows an irregular outline, 
due to the bases of the closely imbricating scales (Fig. 46). 
The shield-like sections of these latter are not quite sym- 
metrical (Fig. 4 6, lh ), owing to the rather oblique insertion 
of these scales. 
As regards the distribution of the vascular bundles in the 
stem : the bundles form an undulating ring around the 
succulent pith. Between this ring and the periphery of the 
stem are seen the bundles which pass off to supply the leaves 
and, where they occur, to the flowers. Fig. 46 is a transverse 
section through the lower portion of the stem. The bundles 
to the leaves pass out in groups of two, these again spreading 
in a tangential direction when they reach the leaf. Higher 
up, in the region of the inflorescence (Fig. 47), there is, on 
the inside of each pair of bundles passing to the leaves, a 
small group which supplies the axillary flower-stalk. The 
distinction between these two groups of bundles is well shown 
in Fig. 48 (fb and lb). The orientation of the bundles is 
that characteristic of Dicotyledons, an inner xylem and outer 
phloem arranged collaterally (Fig. 48). The bundles undergo 
no secondary increase in thickness. The xylem is small in 
quantity in comparison with the total bulk of the plant ; a 
reduction doubtless correlated with the small transpiration- 
current. The ring of bundles is traversed by relatively broad 
medullary rays at frequent intervals. The elements of the 
xylem are scalariform vessels and (in the protoxylems) narrow 
spiral vessels. 
Corresponding to each xylem-group is a phloem-group 
(Fig. 49). The phloem is built up entirely of soft elements. 
These consist of narrow sieve-tubes with slightly oblique 
sieve-plates, companion-cells, and a large amount of small- 
celled phloem-parenchyma. Thin callus-plates are present 
on the plates of some of the more peripheral sieve-tubes. 
Neither the sieve- tubes nor their companion-cells show any 
special peculiarity. 
3. The Leaves show a gradual transition in form, from the 
small scales at the base, to the thick, fleshy ones covering the 
