NARCISSUS. 



539 



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

 grains and 78 per cent of the total starch in 45 minutes ; 

 in about 48 per cent of the grains and 91 per cent of the 

 total starch in 60 minutes. (Charts D 289 and D 290.) 



The hilum is distinct and a bubble is never formed 

 there. The lamellae are moderately distinct in many 

 grains and not distinct in others. Gelatinization begins 

 at the hilum and progresses according to but one method. 

 Two furrows or actual fissures extend horizontally or 

 with varying degrees of obliquity from the hilum nearly 

 to the margin, and the starch included between these 

 furrows, the hilum, and the margin is divided first 

 by rather coarse striae and then by fissures, and finally 

 all but a narrow band of material at the margin loses 

 its original structural appearance and becomes a mass 

 of fine granules, which gelatinize slowly from the hilum 

 toward the margin. This is accompanied by some swell- 

 ing of the grain. The substance at the proximal end and 

 sides, which is the most resistant part of the grain, be- 

 comes rather coarsely striated and as the grain swells is 

 pushed to the margin where it, in connection with the 

 narrow band of starch around the rest of the margin, 

 forms a continuous marginal band which gelatinizes very 

 slowly and which if not gelatinized after it has been 

 treated from half to 1 hour by the reagent becomes 

 cracked in many places. The gelatinized grains are 

 much swollen, have rather thick capsules, and are not 

 much distorted. 



Comparison of the pyrogallic-acid reactions between 

 N. poeticus ornatus and N. gloria mundi shows : 



The hilum and lamellae are somewhat more distinct. 

 Gelatinization progresses according to two methods, of 

 which the one seen in the great majority of the grains is 

 not seen in any of the grains of N. gloria mundi. The 

 starch immediately surrounding the hilum is split into 

 a great number of rather coarse granules, and the rest of 

 the material of the grain is divided by very fine striae. 

 The less resistant starch is gelatinized and the grain 

 swells slowly, pushing the more resistant material to the 

 margin, where it forms a finely striated and lamellated 

 band around the inner border of which are arranged the 

 granules formed from the deposit nearest the hilum. 

 These granules are very resistant and though they slowly 

 grow smaller and more refractive they remain for some 

 time after the rest of the grain is gelatinized. The 

 marginal band is seen to consist of two layers, an inner 

 spicular and an outer striated and lamellated portion. 

 The inner portion is gelatinized first and then, slowly, 

 the outer portion, which after the reagent has been acting 

 for half to 1 hour is cracked in various places. In a 

 minority of the grains the same method of gelatinization 

 occurs as in N. gloria mundi, except that there are no 

 granules formed in the starch distal to the hilum 

 and in the furrows from the hilum, and the striae at the 

 proximal end are finer. The gelatinized grains are as 

 much swollen, have the same thickness of capsules, and 

 are as much distorted as in N. gloria mundi. 



The reaction with nitric acid begins immediately. 

 Complete gelatinization occurs in less than 0.5 per cent 

 of the entire number of grains and 8 per cent of the 

 total starch in 5 minutes; in about 10 per cent of the 

 grains and 23 per cent of the total starch in 15 minutes; 

 in about 14 per cent of the grains and 47 per cent of the 

 total starch in 45 minutes; in about 19 per cent of the 



grains and 55 per cent of the total starch in 45 minutes ; 

 in about 33 per cent of the grains and 61 per cent of the 

 total starch in 60 minutes. (Chart D 291.) 



The hilum is distinct and no bubble is observed to 

 form there. If fissures already exist there, they become 

 wider and more extensive. The lamellae are distinct 

 and evidences of a lamellar structure persist for a long 

 time after the grain has been, apparently, completely 

 gelatinized. Gelatinization begins at the hilum and in 

 all but rare grains follows one method of procedure. 

 Two fissures or furrows extend transversely or with 

 varying degrees of obliquity from the hilum nearly to the 

 margin, the starch just around the hilum is divided 

 into an irregular mass of large granules and the material 

 comprehended between them and the hilum and the distal 

 margin, which comprises the greater part of the grain, 

 becomes more refractive in appearance, and then is 

 divided by rather coarse striae into granules which are 

 arranged in rows corresponding to the arrangement of 

 the lamellae. These are gelatinized from the hilum out- 

 ward to the margin, and the 3 marginal rows, while 

 losing their granular appearance, retain it for a long time 

 after gelatinization is apparently complete. The ma- 

 terial at the proximal end and sides nearby, which is 

 more resistant, has in the meantime become coarsely 

 striated, and as the grain swells this material forms a 

 striated and lamellated band which becomes first granu- 

 lar, and then loses this appearance, and retains merely 

 the suggestion of a lamellar arrangement, as in the other 

 parts of the margin of the grain. This is all lost, how- 

 ever, when the grain is completely gelatinized. 



The gelatinized grains are much swollen and have 

 rather thin capsules, but are not much distorted and 

 retain some resemblance to the form of the untreated 

 grain. 



Comparison of the nitric-acid reactions between N. 

 poeticus ornatus and N. gloria mundi shows: 



The hilum and lamellae are somewhat more distinct 

 than in N. gloria mundi. Gelatinization begins at the 

 hilum and in the great majority of the grains does not 

 follow the same type of procedure as is noted in practi- 

 cally all the grains of N. gloria mundi. The hilum 

 swells somewhat and in many of the grains the material 

 immediately surrounding the hilum, which probably 

 represents a primary starch formation, is split up into 

 particles of varying size and shape, and the material 

 surrounding it, which represents a secondary starch 

 formation, becomes striated and as the grain swells 

 forms a striated, non-lamellated marginal band. The 

 particles of primary starch are very resistant and per- 

 sist in some grains when the rest of the starch has 

 been gelatinized. In a minority of the grains the same 

 method of gelatinization occurs as in N. gloria mundi, 

 except that the granules formed are finer and there is 

 more fissuring at the margin, but less in the inner part 

 of the grain. 



The gelatinized grains are as swollen and do not have 

 thin capsules, and are as distorted as in N. gloria mundi. 



The reaction with sulphuric acid begins immediately. 

 Complete gelatinization occurs in about 88 per cent of 

 the entire number of grains and 99 per cent of the total 

 starch in 2 minutes; in more than 99 per cent of the 

 grains and total starch in 5 minutes. (Chart D 292.) 



