1919I WOO—AMARANTHUS 343 



4. Tissue analysis of the seeds shows the distribution of differ- 

 ent forms of phosphorus in the various fractions. The organic 

 phosphorus, which consists chiefly of phosphoprotein and nucleo- 

 protein phosphorus, is high, and that of the inorganic form is low. 



5. The distribution of nitrogen in seeds is in the same order as 

 that of the phosphorus. The insoluble portion contains 80-83 

 per cent of the total. The soluble part varies from 17 to 20 per 

 cent, most of which is in the organic form. The inorganic form is 

 represented by the nitrate nitrogen. 



6. The predominating sugars in the seeds are the polysac- 

 charides. These compose nearly one-half of the total dry weight 

 of the seeds. In both A. retroflexus and A. hlitoides there is absence 

 of lipin sugars in Fj and reducing sugars in F2. Only a small 

 amount of non-reducing sugars was present in the two varieties. 



7. The presence of nitrogen and phosphorus in the lipin frac- 

 tion indicates that the seeds contain phosphatides. Phytosterol 

 was also present. By comparison, A . retroflexus has 2 , 8 times as 

 much as A . hlitoides. 



I am indebted to Drs. Wm. Crocker, S. H. Eckersox, and 

 F. C. Koch for their kind advice and aid during the progress of 

 the work. 



Untversity of Chicago 



LITERATURE CITED 



1. Boutin, A., Sur la presence d'une proportion considerable de nitre dans 

 V Amaranthiis blitum. Compt. Rend. 76:413-417. 1873. 



2. , Sur le presence d'une proportion considerable de nitre dans deux 



varietes d'Amaranthus. Compt. Rend. 78:261-262. 1874. 



3. Brosset, — , Sur quelques passages de Stan. Bell, d'ou Ton peut conclure 

 que V Amaranthiis blitum est cultive en circassie pour le nitre qu'il contient. 

 Compt. Rend. 79:1274. 1874. 



4. Chapin, R. jNI., and Powich, W. C, An improved method of the estimation 

 of inorganic phosphoric acid in certain tissues and food products. Jour. 

 Biol. Chem. 20:97-114. 1915. 



5. CzAPEK, F., Biochemie der Pflanzen. 2d ed. 1:763-773. 1913. 



6. Fischer, H. , Zur Frage der Kohlerisame-Ernahrung der Pflanzen. Garten- 

 flora 65:232-237. 1916. 



7. Fox, Paul J., Titration of calcium and magnesium in the same solution. 

 Jour. Ind. Eng. Chem. 5:910-913. 1913. 



