The Vegetative Anatomy of Molinia cserulea. 59 
mentioned, to a height of 45 to 75 cm. It bears only two series of 
leaves: the lower given off immediately above the rhizome, the 
upper about 5 cm. higher up the stem (/', l 2 ); the leaves in each 
series spring from points so nearly at a level that they look like 
whorls. Since the lower series is right at the beginning of the 
shoot the stem is said to have a single “joint” (»). The stem 
divides naturally into three sections : first, the section between the 
two series of leaves, conveniently though inaccurately called the 
basal internode ( b ); second, the thin but very tough inflorescence 
stalk; and third, the axis of the inflorescence itself. 
The basal internode, when mature, has a form closely 
resembling an Indian club (Fig. 4). A healthy specimen about 
5 cm. long is most typical and will serve best for purposes of 
description: it must be understood, however, that many are 
squeezed out of shape by overcrowding, and that all sizes are found 
from those less tha-n 1 cm. high in young or dwarf plants to others 
approaching 10 cm. in tall, woodland forms. The typical basal 
internode, then, is a swollen structure, rapidly expanding as it rises 
from the first node to a diameter of 5 mm., slowly tapering to 2 mm. 
or even less in the handle of the club, and then quickly expanding 
once more to form the slight ridge from which springs the second 
series of leaves. The upper and thinner third of this internode is 
green; the lower swollen two-thirds is white. The surface is 
smooth, shiny, and firm ; the whole organ when pinched by the 
fingers is found to be quite hard. One side is generally flattened 
by having been pressed in growth against the parent basal inter¬ 
node, which now stands, a withering hollow shell, close beside. At 
the base will be found two, often three and sometimes only one, 
buds, ready for development at the coming of spring; and around 
these the decaying leaves of the first series, always dead by the 
time the basal internode is fully developed. 
A transverse section across the thick part of the basal inter¬ 
node (Fig. 5, A) reveals the fact that we have here a well 
constructed and tightly packed organ for food storage. The outer 
wall of the internode consists of a cutinised epidermis of small 
cells, strengthened by small celled, thick walled, mechanical tissue 
about three cells deep. Within this lies the rest of the cortex 
composed of medium sized cells, about ten cells deep, having their 
walls thickened with cellulose and their cavities crowded with 
granules of food reserve. This tissue possesses abundant 
schizogenic lacunae of sizes varying up to that of the cells them- 
