6 THE BOTANICAL MAGAZINE. ' [Voi. xxir. No. 252. 



Went/^ whose investigations have so far been directed almost 

 entirely to elucidating the morphology and physiology of that 

 fungus. The physical and chemical properties of the pigment, 

 which this species produces, are considered in the papers of 

 YoRDERMANN,^^ Prinsen Geerligs^^ and BooRSMA.''^ Passing 

 over the conflicting views as to the development and systematic 

 position of this species, in the following I will present some 

 remarks on the enzymic action of this fungus. 



A sterilized mass of steamed rice-bran was sown with the 

 spores of purely cultured M. purpureas and kept in an incubator 

 at the temperature of 35°c. When the fungus had fully grown 

 over the rice-bran and it presented a purple red mass bound 

 together by a white mycelium, to the whole mass an equal 

 amount of water w^as added and well mixed ; then with stirring 

 occasionally at the ordinary temperature, the mixture was left 

 about 24 hours. The mixture was then filtered, and to the 

 filtrate was added two or three times the volume of 90-95^ 

 alcohol, and the precipitates collected and dried by means of 

 vacuum evaporation. The aqueous solution of the dried mass 

 after filtering was used for the test of the enzymic actions. 



(a) Am3dase. 10 c.c. of gelatinised starch allowed to cool to 

 50°c, and mixed with Ice. of the enzyme solution above men- 

 tioned. The mixture was kept at this temperature. The 

 opalescense of the starch paste disappeared in about 30 

 minutes, and after 11/2 hour it gave a purple red colour with 

 iodine solution. At the same time the solution began to reduce 

 the Fehling's solution. Unfortunately the amylolytic power 

 of this fungus was not determined quantitatively, so that it is 

 hard to say whether or not it is as strong as those of other 

 kinds of diastase. But I am continuing the comparative study 

 of the amylases to be obtained from the useful fungi found in 

 the Eastern Asia, and hope to determine the nature of sugars 

 produced from starch by their action. 



1) Ann. des sciences nat., B .tan., 1895, 8 ser., Vol 1, p. 1. 



2) Geneeskiiudig Tijd-chrift voor Nederl. Indie, 1894, Vol. .34, No. 5. 

 8) Chem.-Ztg, J895,^Vol. 19, p. 1311. 



4) Chem. Centr., 189G, Bd I, p. 1130. 



