SOME COIfTRIBUTIONS TO rLAXT-CHEMISTEY. 169 



SOME CONTIIIBUTIOXS TO PLANT-CHEMISTKY. 

 By a. H. Church. 



1. Geoglossum difforme. — Farther investigation of the mode of 

 nutrition and of the chemical constituents of fungi is much needed. 

 A remarkable richness in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and in 

 oily matters has, however, been generally observed in the case of 

 these plants. I was desirous of extending our knowledge on these 

 points, particularly with regard to certain fungi which had not been 

 yet analysed. On the 9th of last IS'ovember I gathered about 28 grams 

 of Geoglossum dijforme and submitted them to chemical examination, so 

 far as the limited supply of the clean material would admit. The 

 results are here given : — 



Fresh plant. 



In 100 parts. 



Water 92-06 



Organic Matter . . . . 6*84 



Ash I'lO 



Plant dried at 100°O. 



Oil and Fat 8*85 



Albuminoids . . . . .19-01 

 Cellulose, &c. (by difference) . . 58-27 

 Ash (of which 18-1 percent, was PjOa) 13-87 



100-00 



I have calculated the nitrogen found in the analysis into albumi- 

 noids, but by analogy with other fungi some of it should exist as 

 nitrates. In the dried plant the total nitrogen was 3 per cent., a 

 figure much below that of other species previously analysed : the 

 phosphorus pentoxide was also low, the dry plant containing but 2-51 

 per cent, of that ingredient. 



2. Collemafurvum. — The chemical study of lichens, algae, and fungi 

 may aid in determining the vexed problem of their mutual relations. 

 In commencing an investigation of this kind a solitary worker can- 

 not but feel how small an impression he may hope to make upon so 

 extensive and complex an inquiry. A detailed analysis of a single 

 species must ultimately be of use, and such an examination of the 

 above-named Collema is now being pursued in the Cirencester Labora- 

 tory. The plants were obtained from walls of oolitic stone in the 

 neighbourhood, and after careful cleansing from fragments of lime- 

 stone (a most troublesome process) were submitted to analysis. They 

 showed a very marked variation in their contents of water when 

 gathered in different states of the atmosphere, that ingredient fluctua- 

 ting between 15 and 93 per cent. The perfectly dry plant gave the 

 following percentages : — 



Carbohydrates, oil, &c. ... 65-37 

 Albuminoids . . . 28*06 



Ash 6 57 



100-00 



