258 M. Miiller on the Development of Chara. 



rence. This globule did not deliquesce, was moveable to and fro 

 much as before, and was only rendered slightly brown by iodine, 

 whereupon the above delicate granules became again perceptible, 

 having become coloured somewhat more brown. 



Thus the starch-cells enter into direct combination with the 

 elements of the water, as they are now no longer coloured blue, 

 but brownish by iodine. But the bursting leads us to imagine 

 that the softened and metamorphosed starch-cells are inclosed 

 by an extremely delicate membrane, which cannot be again ren- 

 dered evident, and the existence of which would also indicate 

 that the formative process takes place from within outwards. 

 According to Schleiden it is the reverse ; but this appears to me 

 the only deduction on the point. He has also correctly sup- 

 posed* that the starch gradually becomes merely finely divided 

 and not chemically dissolved ; for in consequence of the constant 

 existence of the above minute granules, which are here consti- 

 tuted of starch only, no further inference can be made. As there 

 is no other substance in the spore than starch, the granules must 

 be formed from it. Hence we have merely another state of ag- 

 gregation, from which new modifications, such as cellulose, dex- 

 trine, membranous substance and all their isomeric compounds, 

 may be formed, but into which we cannot enter any further. 



This sufficiently proves that an apparently oily mucous liquid 

 is formed from the starch, and several observers attest the exist- 

 ence of true globules of oil in it. Whether such really exist in 

 the fertile starch-cells, whether they are formed simultaneously 

 with the starch in a difierent state of aggregation, or whether they 

 exist at all, I must leave undetermined. It is more important 

 that by this formation the starch is prepared so as to be assimi- 

 lated by the membrane of the nucleus. Hence we may designate 

 the above fluid with good reason and correctly as cytoblastema. 



As soon as this is assimilated the above membrane expands 

 lengthwise, ruptures the sporular membrane at the apex, presses 

 back the five cells of the sporular membrane which confine it like 

 five valves, and thus appears in the form of a simple transparent 

 vesicle, which now only elongates, so as to proceed rapidly to- 

 wards the formation of the germ-plant. That it is merely the 

 membrane of the nucleus which here expands, may be seen with 

 the greatest certainty — although Bischofi" doubts it — in a true 

 nucleus-sac taken out of the sporular membrane (fig. 4) . 



§ 4. The Embryo. 



The vesicle now elongates so as to form a utricular cell, the 

 apex of which then speedily becomes spherical, and oblique septa 



* Grundz. i. p. 17J). 



