74 PHYSIOLOGY [BoT. Absts., Vol. IX, 



496. LiNOSSiER, G. Les vitamines et les champignons. [Vitamines and fungi.] Compt. 

 Rend. Soc. Biol. 83: 346-349. 1920. — Certain fungi, Oidium lactis, Aspergillus niger, and 

 Penicillium glaucum, are able to grow in pure culture in media lacking vitamines, but contain- 

 ing the necessary mineral nutrients, an ammonium salt, and glucose. Only on greatly reducing 

 the nutrients does the 1st and sometimes the 2nd show feebler growth as compared with similar 

 dilute solutions to which has been added a drop or so of sap or orange juice. Other fungi, 

 like beer yeast and Mycoderma vini, easily show a marked difference when the vitamines are 

 added. The fungi of the 1st group excrete into the culture media vitamines which stimulate 

 the growth when added to the cultures of the fungi of the 2nd group. Yeast with vitamines 

 exhausted all sugar of the medium in 11 days, without vitamines in 27 days. The weight of 

 the fungus was respectively 10 and 6 mg. In another case in equal lengths of time the amount 

 of sugar consumed was 1.6 and 1.16 gm. and the weight of fungus 16 and 8 mg., respectively 

 for cultures with and without added vitamines. — E. A. Bessey. 



497. Mannich, C, tjnd K. Lenz. tjber eine Methode zur polarimetrischen Bestimmung 

 der Starke in Calciumchloridlosung. [Polarimetric determination of starch in CaClo solution.] 

 Zeitschr. Untersuch. Nahrungs- u. Genussmittel 40: 1-11. 1920. 



498. MiTRA, S. K. Seasonal changes and translocation of carbohydrate materials in fruit 

 spurs and two-year-old seedlings of apple. Ohio Jour. Sci. 21: 89-103. 1921. — Analyses for 

 glucose, maltose, sucrose, total sugars, and readily hydrolyzed polysaccharides (called 

 starch), as well as determinations of hydrogen-ion concentration, were made on samples of 

 1 year old stems, 2 year old stems, and roots of apple seedlings, and on apple spurs. The 

 samples were collected twice a month during a year. No distinction is indicated between 

 non-bearing spurs and spurs bearing fruit. The data are given in terms of dry weight. A 

 correlation is pointed out between carbohydrate changes and hydrogen-ion concentration as 

 this is known to favor the action of diastase or maltase. — i/. D. Hooker, Jr. 



499. Plahl, Lme. W. Zum Nachweis der Oxalate in Pflanzengeweben. [Identification 

 of oxalates in plant tissues.] Zeitschr. Wiss. Mikrosk. 37: 130-135. 1920. — The method de- 

 pends on precipitation with AgNOs in the presence of HNO3, other organic acids remaining 

 in solution. — //. G. Barbour. 



500. Sattvageatj, C. Sur la membrane de quelques algues floridees et sur la gelation 

 de I'hydrosol gelosique. [On the membrane of certain red algae and the gelation of the gelat- 

 inous hydrosol.] Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris 171: G06-609. 1920. — Two types of indig- 

 enous red algae are used commercially as sources of agar and similar substances. The 

 Chondrus type has an envelope of pecto-cellulose, the pectic portion upon gelation yielding 

 the mucilage. The Gelidium type contains in addition a substance staining violet in iodine 

 to which the name amyloid is applied. The changes taking place in this amyloid during 

 cooking and boiling are described. This substance is found in species of Gelidium, Gracilaria, 

 Laurencia, Cystodonium, Pterocladia, Ahnfeldia, and Porphyra. — C. H. Farr. 



METABOLISM (NITROGEN RELATIONS) 



501. Guggenheim, M. Die biogenen Amine und ihre Bedeutung fiir die Physiologie und 

 Pathologic des pfianzlichen und tierischen Stoflfwechsels. [The biogenous amines and their 

 significance for the physiology and pathology of plant and animal metabolism.] IMonographien 

 aus dem Gesamtgebiet der Physiologie der Pflanzen und der Tiere 3: 1-376. Julius Springer: 

 Berlin, 1920. — The point of view of the author is somewhat indicated by the fact that he recog- 

 nizes the term 'biogenous amines' to represent no definitive physiological or chemical group, 

 this name being considered preferable, however, to proteinogenous amines — since the latter 

 implies a direct and invariable relation to the proteins. After a preliminary general account 

 the author gives brief characterizations of the various larger groups. The substances included 

 are treated under 9 topical headings, as follows: Alkylamines (methylamine, etc.), alkanol- 



