136 



BOTANICAL GAZETTE 



I FEBRUARY 



about the vascular tissue when this method is used. No oxidase 

 could be detected by the ordinary qualitative chromogenic methods 

 in either the living or desiccated seeds. 



Chemical analysis 

 In the following analysis seeds were collected from the same 

 tree in order to eliminate differences due to individual variation. 

 The collection was made in the spring of 191 7. Fresh seeds were 

 immediately placed in 95 per cent redistilled alcohol, enough being 

 added to make the final volume of alcohol 80 per cent. One-half 

 gram of calcium carbonate was added to guard against possible 

 acid hydrolysis. In the final calculation the calcium carbonate 

 was considered as being in the insoluble fraction. In general the 

 method of extraction and analysis is that outlined by Koch (16), 

 but a few modifications were found necessary. 



The tissue was ground, and then extracted with hot 95 per cent 

 alcohol for four hours, followed by i-hour ether extraction. The 

 alcohol-ether insoluble material was then heated in water for 

 one hour on the steam bath. The water was evaporated down, 

 alcohol again added, and returned to extraction cups for a 24-hour 

 alcohol extraction and i-hour ether extraction. The alcohol and 

 ether extracts were combined, evaporated to dryness, and then 

 extracted with anhydrous ether. This ether extract is known as 

 F x ; the residue from the ether extract is F 2 ; the alcohol-ether 

 insoluble material is F 3 . F 3 was dried in the oven at 103 C. for 

 5 days, then cooled and weighed. 



The 191 7 seeds were desiccated in the laboratory. No attempt 

 was made to maintain a constant temperature. The seeds failed 

 to germinate after 18 days, when the water content had dropped 

 to approximately 34 per cent. The desiccated seeds were treated 

 in the same manner as the fresh seeds. Table III shows the 



