NARCISSUS. 



521 



pitted appearance and is invaded liy numerous fissures, 

 which split off small granules which in turn float oft and 

 are gelatinized. There is more of this fissuriiig and 

 granule formation than in N. poeticus orintliis. When 

 the hilum is reached it swells suddenly, and the bubble, 

 if present swells, shrinks, and finally disappears, and the 

 proximal starch is rapidly gelatinized. In the second 

 method gelatinization begins at several points on the 

 margin and does not spread around the margin, but 

 proceeds inward from each point, forming cup-shaped 

 hollows in the grains which finally coalesce, when the 

 hilum is nearly reached. From this point the reaction 

 is the same as that in the first method. In the lenticular- 

 shaped grains, as in N. pocticus ornahus, gelatinization 

 begins at the margin at either end of the long axis, and 

 proceeds smoothly toward the hilum which is centrally 

 situated. The hilum when reached swells suddenly and 

 rapidly, and the starch immediately surrounding it is 

 rapidly gelatinized. 



The gelatinized grains are as much swollen and have 

 thinner capsules than in N. pocticus ornatus. They are 

 as in that starch much distorted and do not bear any 

 resemblance to the form of the untreated grain. 



The reaction with chromic acid begins in 1 minute. 

 Complete gelatinization occurs in less than 0.5 per cent 

 of the entire number of grains and 3 per cent of the total 

 starch in 5 minutes; in less than 0.5 per cent of the 

 grains and 22 per cent of the total starch in 15 minutes ; 

 in about 2 per cent of the grains and 65 per cent of the 

 total starch in 30 minutes; in about 5 per cent of the 

 grains and 75 per cent of the total starch in 45 minutes; 

 in about 10 per cent of the grains and 85 per cent of the 

 total starch in 60 minutes. (Chart D 260.) (See foot- 

 note, page 516.) 



The hilum is distinct and the lamella? are not so 

 frequently distinct as in N. poeticus ornatus. Gelati- 

 nization begins at the hilum and follows two methods. 

 In the first method of gelatinization 2 furrows extend 

 horizontally from the hilum toward the margin and the 

 fissures present at the hilum widen and deepen and in 

 many cases divide the grain into various parts as they 

 extend nearly to the margin. The portion of the grain 

 comprehended between the furrows, the hilum, and the 

 margin becomes finely granular and the proximal ma- 

 terial is coarsely striated but rarely lamellated. The 

 granular portion gelatinizes first and from this point 

 onward the reaction is the same as that described under 

 the second method. In the second which resembles one 

 described in N. pocticus ornatus, a number of fissures 

 extends from the hilum to the distal margin dividing the 

 starch in their path into irregular granules and leav- 

 ing only the proximal end and sides nearby unfissured. 

 The fissures are not so coarse but are more numerous 

 and split the material into finer granules than in N. 

 poeticus ornatus. The proximal starch is pushed to 

 the margin as the grain swells and is coarsely striated 

 but rarely lamellated, and shows only one layer. The 

 granular material between the hilum and the distal end 

 is the first to be gelatinized from the hilum outward. 

 This is accompanied by considerable swelling, and in the 

 meantime the proximal starch is becoming more re- 

 fractive and thinner and is gradually losing its striated 

 10 



appearance until only a rather thin, homogeneous-looking 

 capsule is left, which has been dissolved at the distal 

 margin. 



The gelatinized grains are much swollen, have thinner 

 capsules, and arc more distorted than in N. poeticus 

 ornalus, but as frequently as in N. poeticus ornatus are 

 the capsules dissolved at one point. Before gelatiniza- 

 tion is complete, the contents flow out and are dissolved, 

 and the capsule is separated into two or three pieces and 

 dissolved. 



The reaction with pyrogallic acid begins in 2 min- 

 utes. Complete gelatinization occurs in less than 0.5 

 per cent of the grains and 1 per cent of the total starch 

 in 5 minutes; in about 1 per cent of the grains and 16 

 per cent of the total starch in 15 minutes; in about 16 per 

 cent of the grains and 70 per cent of the total starch in 

 30 minutes; in about 36 per cent of the grains and 84 

 per cent of the total starch in 45 minutes; in about 48 

 per cent of the grains and 93 per cent of the total starch 

 in 60 minutes. (Chart D 262.) 



The hilum is distinct, but the lamella? are less often 

 distinct than in N. poeticus ornatus. Gelatinization be- 

 gins at the hilum and progresses according to two methods 

 which are very similar to the two described under N. 

 poeticus ornatus. In a small majority of the grains 2 

 furrows (or in many grains actual fissures) proceed 

 transversely or obliquely from either side of the hilum to 

 the margin, and the starches included between them 

 and the hilum and the distal end becomes more refractive 

 and assumes an irregularly pitted appearance and is then 

 fissured, somewhat irregularly, from the hilum out to the 

 margin. Meanwhile the material at the proximal end 

 and sides nearby becomes striated, and in some grains 

 shows a lamellar structure. The distal material which 

 becomes more and more homogeneous-looking begins to 

 gelatinize slowly with some swelling and distortion. The 

 proximal material which forms a band at the margin 

 slowly becomes more refractive and homogeneous-looking 

 and finally is also gelatinized. In the second method, 

 which is similar to that described for the majority of 

 the grains of N. pocticus ornatus and which occurs in 

 a moderate number of the grains of starch, the mesial 

 portion of the grains which probably represents a primary 

 starch formation is divided by irregular fissures into a 

 number of rather coarse granules which are finer, as a 

 rule, than those in N. poeticus onmlus: while the rest 

 of the starch, which represents a secondary formation, 

 becomes finely striated and (as the less resistant material 

 is gelatinized) swells, pushing the more resistant ma- 

 terial to the margin where it forms a striated and but 

 rarely a lamellated band, around the inner border of 

 which are arranged the granules of the primary starch. 

 The marginal material slowly grows thinner and more 

 nearly transparent and finally is completely gelatinized 

 leaving only the capsule. The granules of the primary 

 starch, however, often persist for a long time. The gela- 

 tinized grains are more swollen, and the capsules are 

 thinner and more distorted than in N. poeticus ornatus. 



The reaction with nitric acid begins immediately. 

 Complete gelatinization occurs in about 1 per cent of the 

 entire number of grains and 10 per cent of the total 

 starch in 5 minutes; in about 6 per cent of the grains 

 and 40 per cent of the total starch in 15 minutes; in 

 about 13 per cent of the grains and 53 per cent of the 



