NARCISSUS. 



529 



A bubble is not so frequently found at the hilum and 

 the lamella? are more distinct than in N. tazetta grand 

 monarque. The grain becomes more refractive in ap- 

 pearance after the addition of the reagent and the band 

 of material about the margin which is first affected in 

 this way is not so narrow as in N. tazetta grand monarque. 

 Gelatinizatiou begins at the ends of protuberances and 

 at various discrete points on the distal margin. It pro- 

 ceeds according to two methods instead of three as in 

 N. tazetta grand monarque. The method in the ma- 

 jority of the grains is similar to that described for the 

 more resistant grains of N. tazetta grand monarque, 

 except that nearly the entire margin, excluding a small 

 strip at the proximal end, is first gelatinized, and there is 

 no serial separation of the distal lamella? after the 

 preliminary gelatiuization of the margin. The second 

 method is the same as that described for the lenticular- 

 shaped grains of N. tazetta grand monarque. The gela- 

 tinized grains are more swollen, have thin capsules, and 

 are more distorted than in N. tazetta grand monarque. 



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 5 per cent of the 

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

 the grains and 25 per cent of the total starch in 15 

 minutes; in about 10 per cent of the grains and 75 per 

 cent of the total starch in 30 minutes; in about 40 per 

 cent of the grains and 90 per cent of the total starch 

 in 45 minutes; in about 50 per cent of the grains and 

 98 per cent of the total starch in 60 minutes. (Chart 

 D2G6.) (See footnote, page 51 G.) 



The hilum is distinct, and the lamella? are moder- 

 ately distinct in all the grains. Gelatinization begins at 

 the hilum and progresses according to two methods. 

 In the first, which is seen in a small majority of the 

 grains, the grain is covered by rather coarse stria?, which 

 radiate from the hilum to the margin, and a sheaf 

 of fissures extends from either end of the hilum nearly 

 to the margin. As the less resistant material of the 

 grain is gelatinized and the grain swells, these fissures 

 increase in size and the more resistant starch on either 

 side is pushed to the margin where it forms a very dis- 

 tinctly striated (at first, indistinctly) lamellated band. 

 The lamellated appearance soon disappears, leaving a 

 coarsely striated baud with a spicular inner margin. The 

 fissures, which originally extended nearly to the margin 

 from the hilum, grow wider and more extensive and in 

 many grains finally extend to the capsule which is then 

 dissolved. In other grains they merely grow wider, and 

 thus having divided part of the grains into granules they 

 separate the granules widely. The granules become 

 smaller and more refractive and finally disappear, and 

 the marginal band grows thinner and more nearly trans- 

 parent and loses its spicular inner border and its striated 

 character and becomes homogeneous in appearance. It 

 remains so for some time, but finally is gelatinized and 

 only the capsule is left. In other grains, the primary 

 material is divided by coarse stria? and forms a striated 

 inner border to the marginal band. This is gelatinized 

 first and the rest of the process is the same as that just 

 described. The second method is seen in a large minor- 

 ity of the grains. Two fissures extend transversely or, 

 rarely, obliquely from the hilum on either side to the 



margin, and the starch included between them and 

 the hilum and all but a narrow strip at the margin, 

 is divided by very fine fissures into fine granules which 

 are somewhat less fine and more distinctly visible near 

 the hilum. Meanwhile the more resistant material at 

 the proximal end and sides nearby is divided by rather 

 fine radiating stria?, and as the granular distal portion 

 is gelatinized from within outward, and the grain swells, 

 the proximal portion (together with the narrow strip of 

 resistant material left around the rest of the margin) 

 forms a finely striated and indistinctly lamellated band 

 which gradually loses both the lamellated and the striated 

 appearance and becomes homogeneous-looking and is 

 finally gelatinized, the proximal portion being the most 

 resistant. 



The gelatinized grains are much swollen, have rather 

 thin capsules, and are not greatly distorted. A moderate 

 number of grains is dissolved before gelatiuization is 

 complete. 



Comparison of the chromic acid reactions of N. poeti- 

 cus ornatus and N. tazetta grand monarque shows: 



The hilum and lamella? are somewhat less distinct 

 than in N. tazetta grand monarque. Gelatinizatiou fol- 

 lows only one method, which is in general that described 

 for a small majority of the grains of N. tazetta grand 

 monarque. The main differences to be noted are that 

 a sheaf of fissures only extends from the hilum toward 

 the distal margin and not from both sides of the hilum ; 

 the granules into which the fissures divide the starch are 

 larger and more distinct; large granules are always 

 formed from the material around the hilum, whether 

 or not a clear division may be seen between primary and 

 secondary starch; the stria? dividing the rest of the grain 

 are not so fine and are more distinct ; the marginal band 

 which is formed as the less resistant material swells is 

 divided into two distinct portions, an outer refractive, 

 coarsely striated and lamellated ring, and an inner, less 

 refractive spicular ring with a fringed inner border. 

 The gelatinized grain is more swollen, has thicker cap- 

 sules, but is no more distorted than in N. tazetta grand 

 monarque, and more of the grains are dissolved before 

 gelatinization is complete. 



The reaction with pyrogallic acid begins in rare grains 

 in 1 minute. Complete gelatinization was not observed 

 in any of the grains, less than 0.5 per cent of the entire 

 number, and 1 per cent of the total starch in 5 minutes ; 

 complete gelatinization occurs in but rare grains, less 

 than 0.5 per cent of the entire number, and 20 per cent 

 of the total starch in 15 minutes; in about 5 per cent 

 of the grains and 32 per cent of the total starch in 30 

 minutes; in about 12 per cent of the grains and 47 per 

 cent of the total starch in 45 minutes ; in about 38 per cent 

 of the grains and 78 per cent of the total starch in GO 

 minutes. (Charts D 267 and D 268.) 



The hilum is distinct, and the lamella; are at first 

 moderately distinct in some grains and not distinct in 

 others. Gelatinization begins at the hilum and pro- 

 ceeds according to two methods. In the first, which is 

 seen in a small majority of the grains, the hilum en- 

 larges and the substance of the grain is divided into 

 spicules by coarse stria? radiating from the hilum to the 

 margin. The less resistant starch is gelatinized and 

 swells, and the more resistant starch is pushed to the 



