( 206 ) 



Kohl aciiiniiiatii : cafrcine and llieobroniiiie holli iji the pehilfs and 

 stamens of tlic c? and in the coroUa and pistil of the 9 Howcrs ^). 



e. Fruits : 



Thea sp. : both yonng and ripe seeds (in husk) contained caffeine 

 (hut only in very small qnantities). 



CofFea sp. : mnch caffeine in the cotyllae and also in the testa 

 and hnsk. 



Theobroma Cacao: When the fruit is ripening, theobromine first 

 makes its appearance in the external frnit wall ; afterwards a xanthine 

 derivative (caHeine) occurs in the frnit pulp; finally the seeds them- 

 selves show the presence of theobrondne and caffeine Avhile the 

 theobromine is disappearing from the external fruit wall. 



Kola acuminata: The frnit wall, fruit pulp and also the seeds 

 contain both xanthine derivatives during the maturation process. 



On looking at these facts we first of all observe that the said 

 xanthine derivatives are present in all the young parts of these plants 

 Avliich grow abo\'e ground oven when they S})ring from old parts 

 utterly devoid of these substances. For instance, the flowers of (V)ffea 

 liberica sometimes result from old branches, the bark of which is 

 devoid of caffeine and still they contain this substance. In the case 

 of Theobroma Cacao the flower branches (and sometimes the young 

 shoots) always spring from old branches utterly devoid of theobro- 

 mine and with Kola acuminata this is still more pronounced ; the 

 flowers and young shoots always result IVom branches in which no 

 theobromine or caffeine can be detected either before or after the 

 budding. 



From this it is evident that during the period of development and 

 growth of the young parts of the said plants, caffeine or theobromine 

 is always formed and remains localized in those parts for a longer or 

 shorter period. This fact may be very well reconciled with the theory 

 that these substances may be decomposition products of albumenoids ") 

 although, perhaps another explanation nu\y be possible. 



At the same time, however, it appears from the above that these 

 xanthine derivatives very often diminish in quantity during the growth 

 of the young parts and that the}' disai)pear from the full grown ones. 



They are found to disappear from the leaves of Coffea stenophylla, 

 Theobroma Cacao and Kola acuminata, from the branches of these 

 species and from tliose of Thea sinensis, Coffea liberica and C. ara- 



^) Flowers of T. sinensis and Goflea arabica were not at our disposal. 

 -) How the facts observed with roots may be reconciled with this theory 

 remains as yet unexplained. 



