Germination of the Seed of the Castor-oil Plant. 379 



deposited on evaporation a residue which gave np to ether a little 

 oily matter, as well as this crystallisable acid, differing thus from the 

 ilialysates. In both extracts evidently there existed a mixture of the 

 crystallisable acid with oil and fatty acid. 



The fatty acids are also present in the cells. A further quantity of 

 the germinating endosperms was extracted by ether for two days, and 

 the liquid decanted and filtered. A greasy residue was left, the 

 greater part of which was insoluble in water. Unlike the oil, it was 

 largely soluble in 0'2 per cent. NaHO. A solution in this reagent, 

 when neutralised by HC1, gave a white curdy precipitate. This was 

 soluble again in more alkali, and was again thrown down on acidify- 

 ing. This behaviour was exactly reproduced by some pure ricinoleic 

 acid supplied by Schuchardt. 



The extract of the cotyledons contained a little, but not much, of 

 this fatty acid. It seemed likely that a good deal of the contents of 

 the disintegrating endosperm cells might be adhering to the cotyle- 

 dons, and another experiment was therefore made, using cotyledons 

 that had been carefully washed in 0'2 per cent. NaHO to remove any 

 such debris. This weak soda solution, after the washing, gave an 

 opalescence with HC1, and the extract made of the washed cotyledons 

 was found to contain a very faint trace of the fatty acid. 



The germinating endosperms, tested with iodine under the micro- 

 scope, were found to contain no starch. There was starch only in 

 certain regions of the young embryo. On testing a piece of the 

 germinating endosperm with Fehling's fluid a copious redaction was 

 observed. The extracts made and used as described above also gave 

 evidence of the presence of sugar. In the extract of the ungermi- 

 nated seeds very much less was present. 22 grams of these were 

 found on careful titration to contain O025 gram, or O'll per cent, of 

 sugar, calculated as dextrose. The quantitative examination of the 

 germinating seeds showed a great increase, which appeared to proceed 

 side by side with the disappearance of the oil. 18 grams of dry 

 weight of endosperms were taken and thoroughly extracted by ether. 

 The seeds from which the endosperms were picked had a root now 

 about 3 inches long, with secondary roots attached. The loss of 

 weight after the ether extraction was 4" 7 grams, or about 26 per cent. 

 The ether extracted not only the oil that remained unchanged, but 

 certain of the products of its decomposition, viz., the fatty acid and 

 the crystallisable acid then present in the endosperm. The resting 

 seeds contained 58 per cent, of oil, so that 32 per cent., calculated on 

 the weight of the endosperm, or 55 per cent, of the total oil, had 

 disappeared, while some of that which was still traceable had been at 

 least partially decomposed. The endosperm was next thoroughly 

 exhausted with boiling absolute alcohol, which extracted all the 

 sugar present. This was evaporated to a syrup, dissolved in water,' 



2 D 2 



