508 



STARCHES OF LILIACE^. 



ities in the arrangement, size, and spacing of the lamellae, whicli may therefore lie set down chiefly 

 to unequal development. The conspicuous forms are the irregularly elliptical with a flattened or 

 rounded distal end, the irregularly oval, and the regularly or irregularly ovoid, also triangular forms 

 with curved base and rounded angles, nearly pjaiform, and round or nearly round, the last two 

 forms being common among the small grains. The peculiarities of lamellation of this grain are very 

 striking and distinctive from the starches of other fritillaries. 



The hilum is a small, round, fairly distinct or indistinct spot. It is eccentric from one-fourth to 

 one-seventh, commonly one-fifth, of the longitudinal axis in most of the grains. There may be two or 

 more hila according to the number of components. The hilum is sometimes represented by a cavity, 

 but usually has a short, narrow, single, and transverse fissure; or several short, ragged lines j)roceed 

 from a common center; or a single, long, ragged line almost 

 separates the proximal end from the rest of the grain. 



The lamella are very distinct, usually rather fine, 

 continuous, or discontinuous circles, ellipses, or lines that 

 follow the outline of the grain. There are often small 

 groups of discontinuous lamellae whose longitudinal axis 

 forms an angle with that of the main part of the grain, 

 and these groups usually occur about two-thirds or more 

 of the distance between the hilum and the distal end, 

 varying greatly in size and distinctness in difi'erent grains 

 and in the same grain, being also irregular, especially near 

 the margin and distal end. Usually there are two or three 

 continuous lamellae encircling the whole grain near or at 

 the margin. The lamellae generally are divided into bands 

 of fine lamellae of varying breadth, separated from one 

 another by one very coarse, distinct, refractive lamella. 

 There are usually more of the latter near the distal end 

 than near the hilum. There are 30 to 34 lamellae on the 

 larger grains, strikingly more conspicuous than in those 

 of any other of the fritillaries examined. 



The grains vary in size; the smaller are 6 by Gn; the larger are 84 by 48//; the common sizes are 

 44 by 30/t and 42 by 34/i in length and breadth. 



Polariscojnc Properties. The figure is eccentric, distinct, but not clear-cut. Its lines are usually 

 broad and not well defined for the greater part of their length; they are sometimes bisected and 

 rarely even further subdivided, and may be curved and chstorted and of varying widths. 



The degree of "polarization is quite high, varying somewhat in different grains and in different 

 aspects of the same grain, being highest when the grain is viewed on end or edge. It is higher than 

 that of the grains of F. meleagris. 



With selenite the quackants are usually not well defined, unequal in size, and irregoilar in shape. 

 The colors may or may not be pure. 



Iodine Reactions. With 0.25 per cent Lugol's solution the grains all color a fairly deep blue- 

 violet; with 0.125 per cent solution they color rather lightly anil the color deepens fairly rapidly. 

 It is less than that of the grains of F. meleagris. After heating in water until all the grains are com- 

 pletely gelatinized the solution and the gelatinized grains color fairly deeply on the adtlition of 

 iodine. After boihng for 2 minutes the solution colors very deeply, but most of the grain-residues 

 do not color at all and are usually disintegrated. The capsules all color a violet with an excess of 

 iodine. 



Staining Reactions. ^With gentian violet and with safranin the grains stain slightly at once 

 and in 30 minutes they are fairly stained. The color is more than that of the grains of F. meleagris. 



Teviperalure Reaction. The temperature of gelatinization is 57.9 to 59.5 C, mean 58.7. 



Effects of Various Reagents. With chloral hydrate-iodine the grains begin to react at once. 

 Some are completely gelatinized in 13^ minutes and all in 12 minutes. The reaction is qualitatively 

 the same as in F. meleagris, but knob-like protuberances ai)pear more frequently first at Ihe proxi- 

 mal end. 



The reaction with chromic acid begins at once and is complete in all the grains in 30 seconds. 

 The reaction is qualitatively the same as in F. meleagris. 



Curve of Reaction-Intensities of Starch of 

 Fritillaria recurva. 



