ic>iy] 



WOO— AMARANTHUS 



317 



finally dried by the use of paper towels. The roots, stems, and 

 leaves were detached for separate analysis. The roots and the 

 main stems were separated by cutting just between the cotyledon 

 scar and the first branching rootlet. The leaf blades with the 

 petioles were separated from the stem. Each portion was weighed 

 and the length and diameter measured. Table I gives a brief 

 description of the three consecutive samples. 



TABLE I 



The green plant at various stages of growth 



Measurement 



June 3 collection | June 20 collection July S collection 



Average height 



Taproot < ,. * ." ' 



r [diameter 



Secondary rootlets < f- ng ,' 



' [diameter . . 



Stems {Jf.ngth ■ 



[diameter 



Lateral branches ft ngth f 



[diameter. . . . 



Seed head 



Green weight 



Roots 



Main stems 



Branches 



Leaves 



Inches 



1 . 00-4 . OO 

 I .OO-l . 50 



None 

 None 

 1 . 00-4 . 00 

 0.13-0.25 

 None 

 None 

 None 



Grams 

 26.OO 

 52.05 

 None 

 188.00 



Inches 

 6 . 00-8 . 00 

 4 . 00-6 . 00 

 o. 10- 1 .00 

 o. 10-1 .00 



None 



Grams 

 28.50 

 97.40 

 None 

 142. 20 



Inches 



20.00 



4 . 00- 6 . 00 

 1 .00- 1 . 20 

 8.00-14.00 

 0.13- 0.25 



20.00 

 0.13- 



14.00 

 0.25- 

 o. 



-0 



25- 



00 



Grams 

 29. 20 

 88.30 



So. 45 



IIO. 2s 



The green samples were then immediately put in a freezing 

 chamber, allowed to freeze overnight, and ground in a meat 

 grinder the next morning. The freezing prevents losses. In the 

 frozen condition no juices ooze out or spatter in the manipulation. 

 The samples were boiled with 95 per cent alcohol to destroy the 

 enzymes, and w r ere then transferred to extraction cups, with filter 

 paper thimbles, previously dried and weighed. The tissues were 

 fractionated according to Koch's (ii) scheme for tissue analysis, 

 namely, the lipin or ether soluble fraction (F t ), the alcohol water 

 soluble fraction (F 2 ), and the insoluble fraction (F 3 ). In the green 

 plant F 2 was comparatively small, consisting of chlorophyll and 

 extracts of various pigments. The F x was put together with F 2 

 for the following carbohydrate and nitrogen estimation. 



