TYPE 12. GRAINS COMPOUND, WITH FUSED COMPONENTS. 253 



develop, the cells forming a 3 to 4 layered covering for the embryo-sacs are completely 

 filled with small starch-grains. The latter are usually spherical, some distinctly compound, 

 and some only granular or almost homogeneous. Some diminutive separated or simple 

 grains also occur. 



Commclina nudicaulis Burm. (Commelinacece.) Dry ripe seerfs.— Grains as in Commelina ccelestis 

 Willd. In half-ripe seeds the compound giains are spherical-oval, elliptical or oblong. Size 

 28 to 34^. The components of the same are solid, and consist of a uniformly dense sub- 

 stance; they are separated by lines or by distinct clefts which contain water; in this stage 

 the compound grains easily fall apart, thus giving rise to numerous obtuse-angular or poly- 

 hedral separated-grains. 



Tinnatia fugax Scheidw. {Commelinaccm.) Dry endosperm. — Starch as in Commelina. Compound 

 grains about once to twice as long as thick, consisting of 2 to more than 1700 components. 

 Size aljout 50;u, thickness about 36;u. On pressing the grain, rounded or polyhedral separated- 

 grains are set free, often still hanging together in irregular masses, and are usually 2 to 3ju, 

 rarely 4 and 5/j, in size. Some cells seem to be filled with a homogeneous mass. 



Cyanotis cristata Don.; Tradescantia mrginica Linn.; Hetcrachtia pulchella Kze. (Commelinacece.) 

 Dry endosperm. — Grains as in Commelina. 



Zingiber officinale Rose; Amomiini zingiber Linn. {Zingiber aceoi.) Dry seed endosperm. — The cells 

 are densely filled with components which usually represent a uniform mass, showing no 

 indication of the compound grain. Through the complete union of the components this 

 mass appears either reticular parenchymatous by complete fusion of the components, since 

 only the hollow spaces lying in the apparently homogeneous substance are visible, or granu- 

 lar, in which case the components may be separated from one another. The compound 

 grains, rounded or oval grains within the cell, can rarely be seen or set free. Size of com- 

 ponents 1 to 5a[. The smaller components are solid, the larger ones are hollow. 



Amommn cardamomum Linn.; Aniomum javanicum. {Zingiberacece.) Dry seed endosperm. — The 

 cells usually filled with a uniform parenchymatous network which often falls out of the 

 sectioned cells in a single mass, and in which either indistinct or no divisions corresponding 

 to compound grains may be noticed. This mass frequently has a granular appearance and 

 easily falls apart by means of pressure into separated-grains, of which the smaller ones are 

 frequently rounded and the larger ones polyhedral, both having a large or a small cavity. 

 Size of the separated-grains 1.5 to 5.5^. 



Amomum granum-paradisi Afzel; Elettaria cardamomum White; Cardamomum minus. (Zingibera- 

 cece.) — Grains as in preceding. 



Hcdychium gardnerianum Wall. (Zingiberacece.) Dry seed endosperm. — Compound grains, spherical, 

 oval, rarely somewhat angular; slightly granular; containing aljout 8000 comjionents. Size 

 about 21/(. Separated grains rounded. Size 0.7 to 2/i. These grains are transition forms 

 to ordinary compound graias of many components. 



Costus sp. (Zingiberacece.) Dry seed endosperm. — The separated-grains, which are 1 to 3 and 4/x 

 in size, are packed in the cells as a dense uniform mass in which the structure of the 

 compound grains can rarely be recognized. This mass sometimes appears granular, but 

 more often has a reticular parenchymatous appearance, the meshes of which are frequently 

 arranged in parallel rows. The endosperm cells are distinguished by numerous knob-like 

 processes. 



Thalia dealbata Fras. (Zingiberacece.) Dry seed endosperm.— Compoimd grains, polyhedral as a 

 result of pressure, with sharp angles and edges; frequently more or less irregular; al)out twice 

 as long as broad; with 2 to 12 rounded or angular, more or less distinct, cavities lying in a 

 homogeneous mass, giving to the grain a parenchymatous appearance; lines of divisions are 

 seldom noted between the cavities. Size of the compound grains about 20 to 25/i. The 

 cavities in the outer denser part of the endosperm are small (1 to 2ju) and rounded; in the 

 inner part they are large (about 8^) and angular. 



Maranta sp. (Marantacece.) Dry seed endosperm. — Compound grains consisting of 2 to 6, rarely 8, 

 almost equally large components, but usually of irregular structure and irregularly disposed. 

 The components are more or less fused, with indistinct or no lines of cleavage, each component 

 containing a rather large but frequently very indistinct cavity. Size of the compound grains 

 9 to 13^1, and of the components 2 to by.. These grains seem to come between those of Thalia 



