497 
Stomata in Halophytes. 
allowed to wither for six, twelve, and forty-seven hours respectively, dipped 
in water and dried, and again weighed. Immediately after this last weighing 
the shoots were immersed in water, and the weight again determined after 
an interval of a varying number of hours. The results are shown in 
Table IX, at a, b, c. The remaining figures show the results of other 
similar experiments with the same plant. Shoots d and e showed a well- 
marked absorption of water after only two hours’ immersion, and e with- 
stood without any apparent injury two successive periods of withering; 
shoots f and g were immersed in a 2 % and 3 % solution of common salt 
respectively, and consequently showed much less absorption than the others, 
which were immersed in water only. 
TABLE IX 
Surface Absorption in Salicornia annua after withering. 
Withering. B Absorbing ( during immersion). 
Plant. 
Time. 
Fresh 
Weight. 
Loss. 
Loss %. 
Time. 
Gain. 
Percentage of 
Loss recovered. 
a 
6 hrs. 
0.552 grm. 
°.°9 7 grm. 
17-5 
5 hrs. 
0-035 g rm - 
35 
b 
12 „ 
0.628 „ 
0-157 „ 
25 
12 „ 
0-094 „ 
59 
c 
47 >, 
0.172 „ 
0-090 ,, 
52 
26 ,, 
0.049 » 
53 
d 
2 „ 
0.232 „ 
O-OIO ,, 
4 
2 „ 
0.006 ,, 
60 
e S W 
2 ,, 
0-212 „ 
0.012 ,, 
6 
4 >> 
0-008 ,, 
75 
e i 00 
11 „ 
0.229 » 
O 
6 
21 
15 „ 
0.054 » 
108 
f 
4 § » 
0-211 „ 
0-016 „ 
8 
2 „ 
0-002 ,, 
12 
g 
4 § » 
Tf 
OO 
O 
6 
0-006 ,, 
7 
3 „ 
0-001 „ 
16 
It will be seen from the figures in the last column that, with equal 
intervals of time for withering and absorbing, about half the water loss is 
regained. The absorption is thus a slower process than that of transpiration ; 
nevertheless, since these plants are frequently submerged in nature, it may 
often be of real advantage to the plant. 
Finally, an experiment was made to determine whether a shoot of 
Salicornia could also absorb water vapour. For this purpose a detached, 
sealed shoot of Salicornia annua was weighed and suspended in darkness in 
an almost saturated atmosphere for fourteen and a half hours. No visible 
condensation had taken place at the end of that time, but on weighing 
a gain of 2 % had been made. 
A few other halophytes which have been tested also show this power of 
absorbing water. In Table X are shown the results obtained with these, 
with Sedum , and with certain mesophytes. 
