6o PLANT RESPIRATION 



are formed according to the equation C6H12O6 = 2CO2 + 

 2C2H5OH or, according to Pasteur's accurate analyses, 100 

 parts by weight of CO2 to 100-105 parts by weight of ethyl 

 alcohol. This ratio was first obtained for the anaerobic respi- 

 ration of seed-plants by Godlewski and Polzeniusz.^ These 

 investigators found that in the case of germinating pea seeds 

 which develop an energetic anaerobic respiration, the ratio CO2 :- 

 C2H5OH corresponds fairly exactly to the theoretical value for 

 alcoholic fermentation. Godlewski and Polzeniusz identified 

 the anaerobic respiration of seed-plants with alcoholic fermenta- 

 tion on the basis of these results. 



Numerous later analyses by Kostychev and his collaborators 

 have shown, however, that the value of CO2 : C2H5OH often does 

 not agree with the equation of alcoholic fermentation. In some 

 cases the deviation from the theoretical value is so considerable 

 that there can be no question of a similarity of the anaerobic 

 respiration with alcoholic fermentation. The following table 

 w^ill illustrate the point: 



Plant Material CO2: C-HoOH 



Mucor racemosus^ 100 : 98 



Mucor racemosus^ 100 : 99 



Aspergillus Jiiger^ 100 : 91 



Aspergillus niger* 100: 92 



Aspergillus niger* 100: 94 



Flowers of Acer platanoides^ 100 : 107 



Roots of Daucus Carola^ 100: 102 



Sweet apples "Sinap"^ ". . 100: 80 



Oranges^ 100: 70 



Seedlings of Lcpidlum sativum^ 100: 57 



Leaves of Acer plalanoides^ 100: 58 



Leaves of Syringa vulgaris^ 100: 56 



Leaves of Frunus Padus^ 100: 51 



Roots of Brassica Rapa^ 100: 49 



Sour apples "Anton"^ 100: 42 



Potato tubers Magnum bonum. Dormant* 100: 7 



Potato tubers Magnum bonum. Sprouting* 100: o 



Fruiting bodies of mushrooms {Psalliota campeslris)'' 100: o 



Fruiting bodies of mushrooms (Psalliota campcstris) '' 1 00 ; ° 



■ Godlewski, E. und Polzeniusz. Anz. d. Akad. d. Wi.ss. Cracau. 1897, p. 267; 1901, p. 

 227. 



2 Kostytschew, S. und P. Eliasberg. Z. f. physiol. Cheni. iii: 141. 1920. 



■' Kostytschew, S. Ber. d. but. ties. 25: 44. 1907. 



■• Kostytschew, S. und M. Afanassjewa. Jahrb. f. wiss. Bot. 60: 628. 1921. 



5 Kostytschew, S. Ber. d. bot. Ges. 31: 125. 1913. 



'Kostytschew, S. Ibid. 25: 188. 1907. 



