500 Delf \ — Transpiration and Behaviour of 
after the leaf was detached, and this was accompanied by a well-marked 
diminution in the rate of transpiration. Some of Rosenberg’s plants (e.g. 
Aster tripolium) were the same as those previously used by Stahl, and he 
therefore concluded that the permanently open stomata of Stahl’s experiments 
must have been the result of cultivation, rather than a natural phenomenon. 
The results of both these workers are opposed to Schimper’s view of the 
reduced nature of the transpiration in these plants. 
It would seem worth while to investigate the whole question of the 
stomata of halophytes in more detail, both on account of the discrepancy 
in these results, and also from the point of view of the influence of these 
organs on the process of transpiration ; but this has had to be deferred. 
The following observations are therefore of a preliminary nature ; but they 
indicate clearly a power of movement in the stomata of some halophytic 
genera, as already asserted by Rosenberg. 
In the first place the distribution of the stomata was determined for 
such types as were available. The numbers are given in Table XI, and 
each figure represents the mean of ten, or sometimes twelve, countings from 
strips of epidermis taken from adult leaves and examined fresh. It will be 
seen that whilst there are comparatively few stomata in Suaeda and in 
Arenaria peploides , there are many in Salicornia annua , which compares in 
this respect more nearly with a typical mesophyte, such as Vicia cracca. 
The distribution of stomata in halophytes is therefore a variable feature, 
and throws but little light on the problem of transpiration in these plants. 
TABLE XI 
Distribution of Stomata in Halophytes. 
Type. 
Stomata per sq. 
cm. 
Suaeda maritima 
Lower epidermis 
6,300 
Arenaria peploides 
5,5°° 
Aster tripolium 
j Upper „ 
( Lower „ 
9.375 
8,750 
Salicornia annua 
Flanks 
10,370 
Sedum album 
1 Upper epidermis 
\ Lower „ 
9.370 
8,750 
Vicia cracca 
Lower „ 
13.25° 
In estimating the distribution of the stomata in Salicornia it was found 
that the number and size of the stomata varied much with the age of the 
internode from which the epidermis was taken. In one plant which had 
nine internodes in all, and which was six inches in height, epidermis from 
each internode was examined fresh, and the results are given in Table XII. 
The internodes are numbered from below upwards, and each number in the 
first column is the mean of ten readings, whilst the numbers in the remain- 
ing columns represent the mean of five readings. In each case the strip of 
epidermis was examined fresh, and mounted dry. 
