NEHINE NARCISSUS. 



nitric acid ami strontium nitrate are very much alike, 

 the most distiuct difference being noted in the curve* 

 during the fint five minute*, jet, while there is a MTV 

 clow correspondence in the course* of the carve*, tin-re 

 re curious alterations in the relative position*, u for 

 instance, while the curve of N. curvifolia var. fothtrgilli 

 major it the lowest and the curve of N. bowdeni iuter- 

 nie<liau in the nitric-acid reactions, tin- curve of the 

 former m next to the lowest and that of the latter the 

 lowest in the itrontium-nirate reaction*, showing that 

 there are inherent important differences in the relations 

 of these reagent* to the starch molecule*. Similar dif- 

 ference* are very strikingly presented by certain *tarches 

 of other genera which show more or lea* marked differ- 

 ence* in the action* of these two reagent*. 



(3) Notable variation* are shown in the degree of 

 separation of the curve* of the five starches in each of 

 the chart*. In the chart for hydrochloric acid all of the 

 curves run closely together, those of N. criipa and .V. 

 elegant being identical, and those of the other three 

 being almost identical. In the reactions with chloral 

 hydrate the curves of N. curvifolia var. fothergilli major, 

 X. elegant, and N. tarnientit var. corutca major are 

 very nearly the same, but those of X. critpa and A', bow- 

 dtni are well separated from the former and from each 

 other. In the reaction* with nitric acid, potassium 

 sulphocyanate, and potassium sulphide all the curve* are 

 fairly to well separated. 



(4) In each chart the several curves bear the tame 

 position-relationship, there being no crossing of curves, 

 so that if a given curve is the highest at the 5-minute 

 interval it will not fall below another, although there 

 may be dispersion or approximation of the curve* during 

 the progress of gelatinization in the latter case they may 

 become identical. 



(5) The order of position of the five curves varies in 

 the different reactions, a* follows, in each case beginning 

 with the highest and proceeding in order to the lowest: 



Chloral hydrate: N. cunr. var. foth. maj.. N. elrcan*. N. (am. var. 



cor. maj.. N. cri^ja. N. liiimlanl 

 Nitric add: N. ln. N. crisp.. N. bowdeni. N. aun. var. cor. 



maj.. N. eurv. var. foth. maj. 

 Hydrochloric acid: N. criepa, N. atagm. N. eurv. var. foth. maj.. 



N. bowdeni. N. tarn. var. cor. maj. 

 PoUMumMlphoryanate: N. bowdeni. N.criapa, N.alen, N.amrn 



var. cor. maj.. N. eurv. var. foth. maj. 



nlphida: N. criapa. N. awn. var. cor. maj., N. eurv. var. 



foth. maj.. N. bowdeni, N. 

 Strontium nitrate: N. ilipni N. rriapa. N. aun. var. cor. maj.. 

 N. eurv. var. foth. maj., N. bowdeni. 



The variations in relative positions are quite remark- 

 able and are expressions of definite physico-chemical 

 peculiarities of the starch molecules in relation to the 

 reagents. It will be observed that A', cvrvifolia var. 

 fothergilli major is the highest in the reactions with 

 chloral hydrate, but the lowest with nitric acid and 

 potassium sulphocyanate; N. elegant is highest with 

 nitric acid and strontium nitrate, but the lowest with 

 potassium sulphide; A', botcdtnt is the highest with 

 potassium sulphocyanate, but the lowest with chloral 

 hydrate and strontium nitrate, etc. It is of interest 

 to note that while the chart* for nitric acid and strontium 

 nitrate bear a very close resemblance, as previously stated, 

 the order of curves is not the same in both. 



(6) In comparing the chart for hydrochloric acid 

 with the abscissas for hydrochloric acid of the composite- 

 curve chart* (E 10, E 11, and E 12) it will be seen that 

 in the latter the difference* between the parent* is seem- 

 ingly much exaggerated. This latter u owing to the 

 very slow gelatinization after 15 minute*, rendering 

 the curve* of N. bovdeni and A', tarnitntit var. corutca 

 major disproportionately low. Both curves should per- 

 haps be brought up as high a* the 20-minutc abscissa. 

 The error is, however, of no essential importance, inas- 

 much as it does not give rise to error in the onl 

 reactivity or essentially modify the generic type of curve. 



(7) The hybrids in all three sets exhibit the same 

 fundamental peculiarities in relation to their respective 

 parents, in so far as each hybrid may in some reactions 

 be intermediate, higher, lower, or the same a* one or the 

 other parent or both parent*, as the case may be. It can 

 not be foretold from the reactions of the parents with any 

 given reagent what the reaction of the hybrid is likely 

 to be. The hybrids lend to follow one parent closer than 

 the other, in some reactions one parent and in others the 

 other, there not being in any one of the three set* a uni- 

 versal sexual prepotency. In the first set the hybrids 

 bear, on the whole, a closer relationship to the seed 

 parent, but in the second and third set* to the pollen 

 parents. In the first and second sets, in each of which 

 there are two hybrids, the hybrids exhibit differences 

 between each other in some reactions as marked a*, or 

 more marked than, the differences between the parents, 

 but commonly the hybrids tend to be closely alike, espe- 

 cially when the parents are close, but there is no rule. 

 As regards the latter, for instance, in the chloral-hydrate 

 reactions of the first set (Chart D 190), the parents are 

 well separated and likewise the two hybrids ; in the sec- 

 ond set (Chart 1)211), the parents are well separated, 

 but both hybrids are the same and also the same as on* 

 parent; and in the third set (Chart D232) the parents 

 are the same, but the hybrid is well separated from the 

 parents, and so on with other reactions. 



(8) No more striking feature seems to be presented 

 than that of the shifting parental relationships of the 

 two hybrids of each of the first two sets in the several 

 reactions, as referred to in Section 6 and fully tabulated 

 in Chapter V. 



13. COMPARISONS OF THE STAKCHKS or NARCISSUS 



POKTICUB OKNATTS, N. POKTICt'8 POET ABU M, N. 



porncus DERRICK, AND N. POKTICCS DAKTK. 



In histologic characteristics, polariscopic figures, 

 reactions with selenite, qualitative reactions with iodine, 

 and qualitative reactions with various chemical reagents 

 all four starches show properties in common in varying de- 

 grees of development together with certain individualities 

 which collectively in each case serve to be characteristic. 

 The starch of X'arciuut poeticut pottarum in compari- 

 son with that of A 7 , potticut ornatut ha* a larger number 

 of compound grain*, more aggregate* that are formed of 

 a single primary grain inclosed in a- secondary deposit, 

 more irregularity of the grains, lea* distinctness of the 

 hilum, more extensive figuration but less branching, 

 and hunellation not so distinct or so coarse; the poloriza- 

 tion figure is leas often well defined and the line* are 

 more apt to be bisected and bent and lea* often form 



