IOJO| 



SCHERTZ— SUDAN GRASS SEED 



81 



the micropylar end of the caryopsis. With acetone and a drop 

 of concentrated HO a red color was noted on the pedicel, and 

 especially was the red prominent in the whole pericarp integu- 

 ment. This indicated strongly the 

 presence of methyl pentosan, and per- 

 haps araban and xylan. No callose 

 was observed in any of the tissues. 

 With ruthenium red, the pericarp in- 

 tegument and the cell membranes of 

 the starchy endosperm gave slight 

 tests, while the scutellum, plumule, 

 plumule sheath, radicle, and root 

 shoot gave a strong reaction, indicat- 

 ing the presence of much pectic sub- 

 stance. Small particles in the cells 

 also gave a pectose reaction. The 

 phloroglucin-HCl tests showed only 

 traces of lignin, if any, present in the 

 pedicel and in the glume. Upon 

 heating the tissues with concentrated 

 HN0 3 and concentrated KC10 3 , eerie 

 acid was observed to issue from the 

 tissues of the pericarp integument. 

 Suberin was present here. 



All cells of the embryo, and espe- 

 cially the cells of the embryo at the 

 micropylar end, were rich in oil. 

 The fat-containing cells of the endo- 

 sperm stained heavily with Sudan 

 III. Also, the epithelial layer had 

 some fat present. The whole of the 

 embryo became red when treated with 

 concentrated H 2 S0 4 , and later took a 



Fig. i. — Longitudinal section 

 of grain of Sudan grass: a, glume; 

 b, pericarp; c, aleurone layer; d, 

 endosperm; e, scutellum; /, cole- 

 optile; g, plumule; h, embryo node; 

 i, radicle; j, root cap; k, coleorhiza; 

 /, pedicel; m, basal seta; n, glandu- 

 lar layer of scutellum; o, lodicule. 



greenish hue. Hence, phytosterol 



was thought to be present in the 



embryo, and also in a portion of the seed coat at the micropylar 



end of the caryopsis. 



