17K) SOME CONTRIB LOTIONS TO PLANT-CHEMISTEY. 



These numbers are not sufficiently full, but they will be supple- 

 mented as soon as possible by determinations of the nature of the 

 non-nitrogenous parts of the plant. One result of interest has been 

 already secured, and that is the entire, or almost entire, absence of 

 oxalic acid and oxalates from this lichen. The percentage of nitrogen is 

 higher than that occurring in fresh-water algae, and even in some 

 fungi. 



3. Lycopodium JBillardieri, Spreng. — The occurrence of alu- 

 minium, in notable quantities, in several species of Lycopodium is 

 well established. I have, however, at last met with a species of this 

 genus in which this element is entirely wanting. Well-developed 

 plants of Z. Billardieri, from the Bay of Islands, ^Tew Zealand, were 

 thoroughly cleansed and then submitted to analysis with all the pre- 

 cautions named in my recent note *' on the occurrence of alumina 

 in certain Cryptogams."* The perfectly dry plant yielded 5*46 per 

 cent, of ash, but this ash contained no alumina. Of silica there were 

 3-14 parts in 100 of ash. I believe that this is the first case in which 

 a true Lycopodium has been found destitute of alumina. 



4. Cupressusfragrans. — In studying the migration of certain sub- 

 stances within the plant the estimation of the nitrogen (and other 

 constituents) in pollen become necessary. The examination of the 

 pollen of Pinus austriaca, which is produced abundantly, was com- 

 menced last year by my assistant, Mr. E. C. "Woodcock, and will be 

 resumed shortly. In the meantime one or two facts concerning the 

 beautiful salmon-coloured pollen of Cupressus fragrans may not be 

 unacceptable. When ripe, on the 15th of April, the pollen was 

 shaken from the flowers, collected and rendered quite free from ex- 

 traneous matters by the use of a cambric sieve. Its percentage of 

 water was at once determined, and found to be remarkably low for a 

 fresh vegetable product — namely, 40-5. The following analysis, 

 though incomplete from deficiency of material, will give an idea of 

 the composition of this pollen : — 



In 100 parts. 

 Pollen dried at 100"C. 



Carbohydrates and undetermined . . . 8dw6 



Oil and fat 1-87 



Albuminoids (containing 1-37 nitrogen) . t^67 



Ash . \ 3-70 



100-00 



5. Gossypium, species of. — Cotton is usnally regarded as nearly 

 pure cellulose. This opinion is correct in the main, but it will be 

 found that traces of both oily and nitrogenous matters occur also in 

 the most carefully prepared cotton fibre, in addition to some mineral 

 matter. A specimen of clean cotton, from which visible impurities 

 had been picked out by hand, gave the following results on analysis : 



See Joura. Bot., 1874, p. 340.— [^rf.] 



