522 



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



total starch in 30 minutes; in about 23 per cent of the 

 grains and 60 per cent of the total starch in 45 minutes ; 

 in about 30 per cent of the grains and 63 per cent of 

 the total starch in 60 minutes. (Chart D 263.) 



The hilum is distinct as in N. poeticus ornatus, and 

 the lamellae are at first not so distinct, and later are ob- 

 scured. Gelatinization begins at the hilum and two 

 methods of procedure are noted similar to two already 

 described under N. poeticus ornatus. In a small ma- 

 jority of the grains 2 furrows or in many cases actual 

 fissures proceed transversely or obliquely from the hilum 

 to the margin, and the material comprehended between 

 them and the hilum and the distal margin becomes more 

 refractive and assumes an irregularly pitted appearance, 

 then is criss-crossed by fissures of varying degree of dis- 

 tinctness. The starch at the proximal end and sides 

 nearby meanwhile becomes striated but shows no lamellar 

 structure. Then the refractive, fissured, distal portion 

 gelatinizes moderately rapidly from the hilum outward 

 toward the margin, with more irregular swelling and dis- 

 tortion than in N. poeticus ornatus. The proximal mate- 

 rial gelatinizes more slowly but is not divided into two 

 parts as in N. poeticus ornatus, but is usually divided into 

 granules which slowly disappear. In the second method 

 which is similar to that described for the majority of 

 grains in N. poeticus ornatus, and which occurs in a 

 moderate number of grains of this starch, the inner 

 portion of the grain which probably represents the pri- 

 mary starch formation is divided by irregular fissures 

 into segments which are finer, as a rule, than those noted 

 in N. poeticus ornatus, while the outer surrounding por- 

 tion of the grain which probably represents a secondary 

 starch formation is gelatinized more rapidly and swells, 

 pushing the more resistant material to the margin where 

 it forms a finely striated, faintly lamellated band. The 

 broken subdivided segments of the primary starch are 

 arranged irregularly around the inner border of this band. 

 The marginal starch slowly grows thinner and more 

 nearly transparent until a single row of fine granules 

 alone remains and these also finally disappear. The 

 inner granules, however, persist for a long time in some 

 grains. 



The gelatinized grains are more swollen and the 

 capsule is thinner and much more distorted than in 

 N. poeticus ornatus. There are fewer grains in which 

 dissolution takes place before gelatinizatiqn is complete 

 than in IV. poeticus ornatus. 



The reaction with sulphuric acid begins immediately. 

 Complete gelatinization occurs in about 54 per cent of 

 the entire number of grains and 79 per cent of the total 

 starch in 2 minutes ; in about 93 per cent of the grains 

 and in more than 99 per cent of the total starch in 5 

 minutes ; in more than 99 per cent of the grains and total 

 starch in 10 minutes. (Chart D 264.) 



The hilum is distinct, and while a bubble is often 

 formed there it is not so frequently as in N. poeticus 

 ornatus. The lamellae are not quite so distinct. Gela- 

 tinization begins at the hilum and progresses according 

 to two methods which are very similar to those de- 

 scribed under N. poeticus ornatus. In the first, which is 

 to be seen in the great majority of the grains, even in 

 most of those which show a clear distinction between 

 the primary and secondary starch formations, 2 furrows 



or actual fissures extend transversely, rarely obliquely, 

 from either side of the hilum nearly to the margin, and 

 in the portion of the grain included between them the 

 lamellae are separated by fissures into concentric groups 

 of varying size, while the primary starch if present is 

 separated from the secondary starch by a fissure. This 

 was noted in some grains of a. poeticus ornatus, but not 

 so frequently nor so distinctly as here. The portion in- 

 cluded between the furrows, the hilum and the margin 

 now melts down in a finely granular mass and is then 

 rapidly gelatinized with much swelling of the grain, 

 while the more resistant material at the proximal end 

 and sides nearby is pushed to the margin where it forms 

 a homogeneous-looking, rather refractive band which 

 rapidly grows thinner and more nearly transparent until 

 all the starch therein is gelatinized and only the capsule 

 remains. In the second method the starch immediately 

 surrounding the hilum which usually represents a pri- 

 mary starch formation is divided by cracks into 3, 4, or 

 5 pieces. The secondary starch surrounding the primary 

 starch assumes a pitted appearance and is divided irregu- 

 larly by refractive concentric lines into many portions, 

 then as the grain swells and the less resistant material is 

 gelatinized the more resistant material forms a homo- 

 geneous-looking refractive band at the margin which is 

 rapidly gelatinized, and the portions of the primary 

 starch are separated somewhat but remain near the 

 center of the grain and are the last part of the grain to 

 be gelatinized. The gelatinized grains are more swollen, 

 have thinner capsules, and are more distorted than in 

 N. poeticus ornatus. 



NARCISSUS POETICUS HERRICK (HYBRID). 



(Plate 9, fig. 51 ; Charts D 259 to D 264.) 

 HISTOLOGIC PROPERTIES. 



In form the grains are usually simple and isolated, 

 but there are as many compound grains and aggregates 

 as in N. poeticus poetarum. The compound grains be- 

 long to two types already described under both parents : 

 (1) A small grain adherent to the side or end of a large 

 one and both inclosed in 1 or 2 common secondary 

 lamellae; (2) 2 small grains inclosed in 4 to 6 or 8 com- 

 mon secondary lamellae. The aggregates are the same 

 as those of both parents. There are as many simple 

 grains in which a distinction may be made between a 

 primary and a secondary starch formation as in N. 

 poeticus ornatus, and fewer than in N. poeticus poetarum. 

 The grains are as irregular as those of N. poeticus, and 

 the irregularities are due to the same causes. The con- 

 spicuous forms are ovoid, lenticular, plano-convex, slen- 

 der and broad elliptical, and irregularly polygonal. The 

 additional forms are triangular, irregularly pyriform, 

 clam-shell, mussel-shell, and nearly round forms. The 

 grains are not flattened. In form N. poeticus herrick 

 shows a closer relationship to N. poeticus ornatus than to 

 N. poeticus poetarum. 



The hilum when not fissured is as distinct as in N. 

 poeticus ornatus and is more often fissured than in either 

 parent, but not so deeply nor so extensively as in N. poeti- 

 cus poetarum, and very slightly more extensively than 

 in N. poeticus ornatus. The fissures have the following 

 forms: (1) A short, straight transverse or longitudinal 

 line; (2) cruciate-, T-, Y-, and X -shaped ; (3) a longi- 

 tudinal fissure, on either side of which is an oblique fis- 



