Genus Statice as represented at Blakeney Point. /. 2 55 
The structure of the glands of the British species of Statice agree 
in most respects with the description given by Vuillemin, for they are 
invariably composed of a group of eight gland cells surrounded by four 
subsidiary cells (Text-fig. 7, A, B and c). 
In all the forms examined the whole of the walls which separated the 
subsidiary cells from the gland cells was cutinized, and further the cuticle 
was continuous across the external surface of the gland ; thus the entire 
gland was encased in a cuticularized layer (this is well shown in Text- 
fig. 7, B),and treatment with concentrated sulphuric acid left this case intact, 
but dissolved away the rest of the gland. It follows from this that escape 
of fluid from the gland will be accomplished with extreme difficulty, a fact 
which must be of considerable advantage to plants living under conditions 
where the water available for absorption is very limited in amount, e. g. S. 
Text-fig. 7. Mettenius gland from the leaf of S. binervosa. A. = gland in transverse section ; 
B. — gland in transverse section showing the cuticle raised ; c. — gland in surface view. 
c. — cuticle ; s. = subsidiary cells. All x circa 150. 
binervosa , or where absorption is rendered difficult on account of the presence 
of salt in the water, e. g. S. Limonium. 
As has already been noted by Wilson, glands showing every stage 01 
transition from mucilage to Mettenian glands are met with in abundance in 
passing upwards from the leaf sheath to the blade, and Wilson regards both 
these glands as having the same origin, the Mettenian being the primordial 
form. He considers that the Mettenian glands were probably mucilage 
secreting organs, the chalk secretion which occurs in some species of 
Statice having been acquired later. Moreover he states that the con- 
tents of the Mettenian glands are always of a mucilaginous nature, even 
when the gland functions as a chalk-secreting organ. It appears more 
probable that the mucilage gland, which represents a multicellular tri- 
chome consisting of a secreting head borne on a short stalk, is the primi- 
