[Vol. 



804 ANNALS OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN 



by the phloroglucin test or by sugar determinations, even after 

 60 days. 



THE ACTION OF ALGAL "DIFFUSION-EXTRACTS" UPON CELLULOSE 



AND HEmCELLULOSE 



Experiments were carried out to determine the presence 

 or absence of cellulose hydrolysing enzymes in the algae, and 

 to this end several methods were employed. First, strips of 

 filter paper were placed in test-tubes and entirely covered with 

 20 cc. of ' * diff usion-extract. " Checks were maintained with 

 distilled water and also with the " diffusion-extract" alone. 

 The series were set up in duplicate — one kept at room tem- 

 perature and the other at 35° C, both with toluene as an anti- 

 septic. After definite intervals during a 60-day period, the 

 contents of the tubes were tested for reduction. None was 

 observable in any case, and microscopic examination of the 

 filter paper failed to reveal any decomposition whatsoever. 



A double series was then set up in a similar way, except 

 that 2 grams of fresh, crushed algal tissue were added to the 

 tubes instead of the "diffusion-extract," together with 20 cc. 

 of distilled water. At the periods noted above, microscopic 

 examination revealed no attack. It was thought an inherent 

 difference between algal and filter paper cellulose might be 

 responsible for this absence of action. Accordingly, cellulose 

 was prepared from the tissue of Ascophyllum after the 

 method described by Fowler ( '11, p. 159) and used by Coolry 

 ('14). Fifty grams of air-dried tissue were placed in a liter 

 flask, 500 cc. of distilled water added, and the lot placed in 

 the autoclave at 15 pounds for 15 minutes to destroy any 

 cellulase that might be present, and also to extract as much 



as possible of the water-soluble substances. The water was 

 filtered from the tissue, fresh water added, and the flask 

 placed in an incubator at 35 °C. It was kept at this tempera- 

 ture with daily changes of water for 10 days, at which time 

 the water-soluble constituents seemed to be almost entirely 

 removed. The treatment from here on was the same as that 

 described by Cooley. To the tissue was added a liter of 

 potassium-chlorate-nitric-acid solution made up in the pro- 

 portion of 30 grams of potassium chlorate to 520 cc. of nitric 



