54 



M. Mohl's memoir. He observed, in Char a flexilis, from 

 one to four well-defined granules situated in the interior of 

 each of the green globules which clothe the inner surface of 

 the cells, and which were coloured blue by iodine, and con- 

 sequently consisted of amylum ; the surrounding green enve- 

 lope became on the contrary brown. This fact I confirmed, 

 having observed it accidentally during the past year on Char a 

 flexilis, and indeed on cells that were in a state of decomposi- 

 tion ; but I also found that it is very variously circumstanced 

 in different individuals, not only in C. vulgaris, but also in 

 Charce with simple cuticle, which had grown for years in my 

 room. In most cases the green cellular sap globules were co- 

 loured brownish by iodine, especially in the young thriving 

 branches ; in other individuals, and even in single cells, there 

 might frequently be seen a very regular division of these green 

 elliptic granules into two or three smaller ones and of a rounder 

 form ; the green enveloping mass, of which at first the whole 

 consisted, at the same time gradually disappeared, and it was 

 now evident that the newly originated globules were coloured 

 blue by iodine. Although I constantly grow Charce in my 

 room, yet I have never been able to discover the causes by 

 which the formation of the amylum granules in the green glo- 

 bules which clothe the inner surfaces of the cells of the Charce, 

 is effected ; in Chara vulgaris it might frequently be observed 

 in old cells growing in the dark, where the outer cellular layer 

 had separated by decomposition from the membrane. We 

 however know that new branches are developed from the axes 

 of such old plants though the individual continues to live ; it 

 therefore appears to me that the occurrence of the amylum in 

 such cells is destined for the nutrition of the young plants ; 

 but in no way can it be laid down as a general rule, that the 

 green cellular sap globules of the Charce have amylum gra- 

 nules for nuclei. I can at any time show Charce whose green 

 globules indicate not a trace of amylum. 



M. Mohl also found that the larger green globules which 

 so frequently occur in various Conferva, contain a nucleus 

 which is coloured blue by iodine ; but neither is this found at 

 all times in Confervce, as I have shown by repeated observa- 

 tions*. M. Mohl's further observations go to prove the oc- 



* Note. Amylum is also present at times in the Closlerice under similar 



