450 



DATA OF PROPERTIES OF STARCHES OF PARENT- AND HYBRID-STOCKS. 



7. STARCHES OF CRINUM MOOREI, C. ZEYLANICUM, 

 AND C. HYBEIDUM J. C. HARVEY. 

 CRINUM MOOREI (SEED PARENT). 



(Plates 4 and 5, figs. 22 and 29; Charts D 127 to D 147.) 



HISTOLOGIC PROPERTIES. 



In form the majority of the grains are simple and 

 isolated with the exception of a few which appear in 

 aggregates of from 2 to 4, usually 2 or 3, components. 

 Compound grains are fairly numerous, and consist of 

 from 2 to 3 components. No well-defined pressure facets 

 are observed. The surface of the grain is often irregu- 

 lar, owing chiefly to: (1) The presence of one or more 

 usually small, rounded protuberances which are generally 

 located at or near the proximal end, where they are occa- 

 sionally quite large and sometimes blunt; (2) to the 

 shifting of the longitudinal axis of the primary lamellae ; 

 to a secondary set of lamella? placed usually at right 

 angles or inclosing the primary set ; ( 3 ) to slight depres- 

 sions of the curved side line, occasionally becoming con- 

 cave at the distal end; (4) to a lateral curvature at the 

 proximal end; (5) to a sinuous outline at the distal mar- 

 gin or sometimes at one side of mussel-shell-shaped 

 grains; and (6) to the abrupt deflection of elongated 

 slender grains at or just distal to the slightly eccentric 

 hilum. The conspicuous forms of the simple grains are 

 elongated-ovoid-shaped which are often squared at the 

 distal end, mussel-shell-shaped, oyster-shell-shaped, pyri- 

 form, and club-shaped. The additional forms are slipper- 

 shaped, rod-shaped, finger-shaped, elongated and ordi- 

 nary clam-shell-shaped, somewhat diamond-shaped, boot- 

 shaped, and nearly round. The conspicuous forms of the 

 compound grains are grains which consist of 2 or 3 small 

 components which are usually located with their long 

 axes transversely to the long axis of the grain, often with a 

 broadened proximal end and inclosed in common lamellae. 

 Sometimes the components are located with their long 

 axes longitudinal. There are ellipsoidal and somewhat 

 heart-shaped grains which consist of 2 components of 

 medium size surrounded by a few common lamellae. Com- 

 pound grains occasionally appear which consist of 3 

 components of medium size, linearly arranged and sur- 

 rounded by a few common lamellae. Rarely a large 

 mussel-shell-shaped grain may be observed, with a deep 

 crescentic cleft towards one corner of the distal margin 

 outlining one large and one fairly small component, the 

 latter being located at the distal corner. The smaller 

 component is sometimes subdivided into two by a deli- 

 cate diagonal fissure. The narrow elongated grains are 

 not flattened, but the broadened forms, such as the oyster- 

 shell-, mussel-shell-, and clam-shell-shaped grains, are 

 flattened so that when viewed on edge they are ellip- 

 soidal, sometimes with squared distal end, or ovoid with a 

 pointed distal end. 



The hilum is a small, round, oval, or lenticular re- 

 fractive spot, and occasionally there may be 2 or 3, rarely 

 4, such hila either transversely or longitudinally arranged. 

 A small rounded cavity is sometimes found at the hilum, 

 and rarely one or more fissures. There may be one short, 

 transverse or diagonal fissure, the former sometimes pass- 

 ing through only the distal margin of the hilum; or 

 fissures may be arranged in soaring-bird and cruciate 

 figures ; or rarely one short, delicate, ragged fissure passes 

 longitudinally from the hilum. The range of eccentricity 



is from 0.45 to 0.10, commonly about 0.20 to 0.15, of 

 the longitudinal axis. 



The majority of the lamellae are from fairly fine to 

 very fine, and when demonstrable they usually form cir- 

 cular or oval rings directly around the hilum, but tend 

 to have the shape of the outline of the grain when even 

 a short distance outward. The lamellae are generally 

 demonstrable throughout the entire grain, but they are 

 usually very fine and less distinct near the hilum. Often 

 when about one-third distalward they become less fine 

 and very distinct, and sometimes they are slightly re- 

 fractive when located near the distal margin. One coarse, 

 very refractive lamella is frequently found that is located 

 at varying distances from the hilum ; and often groups of 

 fine lamellae, varying from 2 to 6 according to the shape 

 and size of the grain, may be separated by less fine and 

 refractive lamellae. A band of 2 or 3 fairly coarse re- 

 fractive lamellae is occasionally found about the middle or 

 nearer the distal margin ; or a still broader band of such 

 lamellae may be observed at the latter region, and sepa- 

 rated from the main body of the grain by a very coarse, 

 refractive lamella. Secondary lamellae are slightly re- 

 fractive, and usually less fine and often more irregular 

 in outline, than those of the primary set. The number 

 of lamellae in the primary set of the large grains varies 

 from 54 to 64. 



The size varies from the smaller which are 3 by 2/i, 

 to the larger which are 60 by 38/x., rarely 80 by 52/*, 

 in length and breadth. The common size is about 48 

 by 28/x. 



POLAKISCOPIC PROPERTIES. 



The figure is slightly to very eccentric, distinct, and 

 clear-cut. The lines are usually fine and intersect ob- 

 liquely. They are more often straight, but frequently bent 

 and bisected. Double figures are somewhat numerous. 



The degree of polarization is high to very high (value 

 85). It varies in different grains, a few having a mod- 

 erately high and a few having an extremely high polariza- 

 tion, the majority being high to very high. Moderate 

 variation in polarization in the same aspect of a given 

 grain is often present. 



With selenite the quadrants are usually well defined, 

 unequal in size, and often irregular in shape. The colors 

 are generally pure, the yellow less often pure than the 

 blue. Some of the grains have a greenish tinge. 



IODINE REACTIONS. 



With 0.25 per cent Lugol's solution the grains color a 

 moderate blue-violet (value 50), which rapidly becomes 

 fairly deep to deep, the bluish tint increasing. With 

 0.125 per cent solution the grains color a very light violet 

 which deepens somewhat rapidly becoming more blue, the 

 depth varying from moderate to deep, the deeper the 

 color the more the blue. After heating in water until the 

 grains are gelatinized, and then adding a 2 per cent 

 Lugol's solution, the grains color a moderate to a moder- 

 ately deep indigo-blue, a few with a reddish tint; the 

 capsules color a heliotrope to an old-rose; and the solu- 

 tion a moderately deep indigo-blue. If the preparation 

 is boiled for two minutes, and then treated with an excess 

 of 2 per cent Lugol's solution, the grain-residues color a 

 very light blue with reddish tint ; the capsules a light old- 

 rose to a wine-red, with more of the capsules of the latter 

 color; and the solution a deep indigo-blue. 



