676 



STARCHES OF AMARYLLIDACE^E. 



Chart No. 237. 



I GV 

 S 



CI PA 

 PC PS 



wedge-shaped, and various irregular forms. The broad grains are commonly about half as thick as 

 wide, and narrower towards the distal end. The narrow grains are of about the same thickness as 

 width, and when seen on edge appear as elongated ovoid grains. 



The hilum is not very distinct, and is rather small and round. It is usually eccentric about 

 two-fifths to one-fifth of the longitudinal axis. It may be double or multiple. It is sometimes 

 fissured, but the fissure is seldom deep or wide, and it may be simple, transverse, or diagonal, or 

 3-armed, or a cross; it may be clear-cut; it infrequently is irregularly stellate. 



The lamellce are not very distinct, but are more distinct near the hilum than near the margin. 

 When they can be seen they appear as continuous, coarse, fairly regular rings, which tend to follow 

 the outline of the margin. The number was not determined. 



The grains vary in size from 3 to 34/u. The common size is 20fx. 



Pfllariscopic Properties. The figure is usually eccentric and generally not very distinct or clear- 

 cut. Its lines are often somewhat bent and otherwise distorted. 



The degree of polarization is high; very variable in different grains, with the position of the 

 grain, and in different parts of the same aspect of a given grain. It is not so high as that of the grains 

 of N. horsfieldii. 



With selenite the quadrants are as a rule not sharply defined, irregular in shape, and unequal 

 in size. The colors are sometimes pure. 



Iodine Reactions. With 0.25 per cent Lugol's solution the grains are colored a deep blue-violet; 

 with 0.125 per cent solution they tint very lightly and the color does not deepen rapidly. The 

 depth of color is about the same as that of the grains of 

 A'', horsfieldii. After heating in water until the grains are 

 completely gelatinized, the solution is colored deeply and 

 the grains mostly very deeply on the addition of iodine. 

 Some grains which do not color so deeply as the rest have 

 a violet color. After boiling for 2 minutes the solution is 

 colored more deeply, but the grain-residues much less. 

 Most of the capsules still contain some blue-reacting 

 starch. When an excess of iodine is used all of them 

 have a dark-violet color. 



Staining Reactions. With gentian violet the grains 

 stain at once, but very lightly, and after 30 minutes are 

 still Hghtly stained. The color is less than that of the 

 grains of A'^. horsfieldii. 



With safranin the grains stain very slightly at once 

 and after 30 minutes the stain is light. This reaction is 

 less than that to gentian violet and the color is less than 

 lliat of the grains of A'', horsfieldii. 



Temperature Reaction. The temperature of gelatini- 

 zation is 75 to 77 C, mean 76. 



Effects of Various Reagents. With chloral hydrate-iodine there is some reaction in a few grains 

 in a minute and the majority begin to react in 3 minutes. All are affected and one-half are gelat- 

 inized in 15 minutes, and all excepting a very few are gelatinized in 45 minutes. There was 

 practically no further change. The reaction is qualitatively the same as that of the grains of N. 

 horsfieldii. 



The reaction \vith chromic acid begins in a minute and is over in 10 minutes. It is qualitatively 

 the same as that of the grains of A'^. horsfieldii. 



There is a slight reaction with pyrogallic acid in a few grains in 2 minutes and it is general in 

 10 minutes. A few grains are completely gelatinized in 20 minutes and half are gelatinized in an 

 hour. The reaction is qualitatively the same as that of the grains of A'^. horsfieldii. 



With ferric chloride a few grains are gelatinized and a few others show the begimaing of a re- 

 action in 4 minutes, and most of the grains begin to react in 6 minutes. About three-fourths are 

 gelatinized in 20 minutes and all in 40 minutes. The reaction is qualitatively the same as that of 

 the grains of A^. horsfieldii. 



There is a slight reaction with Purdy's solution in a few grains in 15 minutes, but after 2 hours 

 there was no further change. 



Curve of Reaction-Intensities of Starch of 

 Narcissus jonquilla. 



