54S TRANS. ST. LOUIS ACAD. SCIENCE. 



The subject of mucilage elsewhere in the tissues of various 

 plants cannot be discussed here. It will be sufficient to refer to 

 a few papers from which the literature can be obtained.^ ^ 



The uncoiling of spirals in some seeds, on the addition of 

 water, is of less common occurrence. The appearance is so re- 

 markable and interesting that many observers have turned their 

 attention to the subject. Spirals were first observed in the seeds. of 

 Casiiarina by Robert Brown ;2^ later he also found them in the 

 seeds of one of the orchids, Rcnanthera coccinea. The appear- 

 ance is thus described by him : 



"The fibrillae in their natural state exhibit, in most cases, hardly any 

 indication of spiral structure; but the membrane, of which they entirely 

 consist, is sufficiently elastic to admit of being extended, and at the same 

 time unrolled to about twice the length of the tube. They then form a 

 broad ribbon of equal width throughout, and spirally twisted from right 

 to left — a direction opposite to that which generally obtains in spiral 

 vessels." 



In 1S38 Lindley-^ observed the swelling and spirals in the 

 seeds of Collomia linearis. As this paper is ordinarily not ac- 

 cessible, I will quote from it : 



26. Fliickiger and Hanbury, 1. c, p. 92. 



For the mucilag-e in the tissues o'i Althoea and other MalvacecE, see : — 

 Link u. Schweig-ger's Journal, vol. xiii., p. 1S6. 



Schmidt: Ueber PHanzenschleim und Bassorin,— Ann. d. Chera. u. Pharm., 1S44, P-S3-S4- 

 Klitzing, 1. c, p. IQS- 

 Wigand: Ueber die Deorganisation der Pflanzenzelle, — Pringsheim's JahrbiJcher, voL 



iii. p. 149. 

 Shultz: Die Natur der lebendigen Pflanze. Berlin, 1S23, p. 671 . 



For the mucilage in the tubers of orchids see Schmidt, 1. c, p. 179; Kiitzing, 1. c, 



p. 194; Cramer, 1. c, p. 149; Fliickiger & Hanbury, p. 656. 

 For mucilage in the rhizome of Symphytum officinale see Kiitzing, p. 194; Cramer, 



1. G.,p. 8. 

 For mucilage in Cactacece see Cramer, 1. c , p. S. 



In the leaves of ^(Z/-o5;«n, and other plants, mucilage occurs. For references see 

 Fluckiger, Schweizerische Wochenschrift fiir Pharmacie, 1873, p, 435 I Fliickiger 

 & Hanbury, 1. c , 109; Radlkofer, Sapindaceen Gattung Serjania, Munich, 1875, 

 p. 100; DeBary, Comparative Anatomy of the vegetative organs of the Phanero- 

 gams and Ferns, Eng. translation, Bower & Scott, Oxford, 1SS4, p. 73. 

 Good general accounts of mucilages and gums are given by Fliickiger and Tschirch 

 (English translation by Prof. Power). The Principles of Pharmacogonosy. New 

 York, Wm. Wood & Co., 1887, p. 163-70. 

 Valenta : Die Kleb — eund Verdickungsmittel. Cassel, 1S84. 

 Giraud: Compt. Rend. vol. Ixxx., p. 477. 

 Husemann & Hilger; Die Pfianzenstoffe, vol. i., 1882, p. 131. 



{Note 26 continued on next page. See also Nos. 37 and 28.) 



