384 



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



With safranin the grains stain very lightly at once, 

 about the same as in A. belladonna, and in half an hour 

 they become moderate in color, a little lighter than in 

 A. belladonna (value 53) ; there is less variation in depth 

 since those staining deeply are much less numerous than 

 in A. belladonna. 



Temperature Reactions. 



The majority of the grains are gelatinized at 65° 

 to 66° C, and of all but rare grains at 70° to 72° C, 

 mean 71° C. 



Effects of Various Reagents. 



The reaction with chloral hydrate begins at once in a 

 few. Complete gelatinization occurs in about 4 per cent 

 of the entire number of grains and 9 per cent of the 

 total starch in 5 minutes; in about 33 per cent of the 

 grains and 46 per cent of the total starch in 15 minutes ; 

 in about 65 per cent of the grains and 74 per cent of the 

 total starch in 30 minutes ; in about 69 per cent of the 

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

 in about 74 per cent of the grains and 82 per cent of the 

 total starch in 60 minutes. (Chart D 1.) A bubble 

 appears at the hilum which, though more frequently 

 small, expands to greater size in many more grains than 

 in A. belladonna. The cleft present in a number of 

 untreated grains becomes much enlarged and very refrac- 

 tive, such clefts being rarely observed in A. belladonna. 

 The definition of the lamellae becomes sharper in many 

 more grains than in A. belladonna. A refractive border 

 of a similar character is formed, but it is not so clearly 

 defined from the rest of the grain as in A. belladonna. 

 In some grains gelatinization begins and proceeds as in 

 A. belladonna, but additional methods are more com- 

 monly observed. In the larger number of grains gela- 

 tinization begins at both ends of the distal margin and 

 extends bilaterally towards the proximal end, which is 

 often gelatinized previous to the distal margin between 

 the limiting corners, but finally the entire grain is gela- 

 tinized except a small area around the hilum, which is 

 the last starch to undergo the reaction. Gelatinization 

 not infrequently starts at one corner of the distal margin, 

 if this is quite prominent, and later follows the course 

 above described. Irregular fissures appear more fre- 

 quently in the grains than in A. belladonna; and such 

 clefts are more often found in the border, sometimes cut- 

 ting off a small area which gelatinizes independently. 

 In other grains a number of deep short fissures may ex- 

 tend inwards through the refractive border; such clefts 

 were not observed in A. belladonna. The process of 

 gelatinization is accompanied by greater distortion and 

 distention than in A. belladonna. The gelatinized 

 grains are much swollen and distorted, even more so in 

 some grains than in A. belladonna; hence they do not 

 resemble the form of the untreated grains. 



The reaction with chromic acid begins in a few grains 

 in 30 seconds. Complete gelatinization occurs in about 

 20 per cent of the grains and 30 per cent of the total 

 starch in 5 minutes; in about 40 per cent of the grains 

 and 85 per cent of the starch in 15 minutes ; in about 77 

 per cent of the grains and 98 per cent of the total starch 

 in 20 minutes ; rare traces of outline in over 99 per cent 

 of the grains and the total starch in 25 minutes ; and a 



very slight trace of outline is left in 30 and 35 minutes. 

 (Chart D 2.) 



The reaction with pyrogallic acid begins in a few 

 grains in 30 seconds. Complete gelatinization occurs 

 rapidly, and in about 32 per cent of the total starch in 5 

 minutes 1 ; in about 64 per cent of the total starch in 15 

 minutes; in about 98 per cent of the total starch in 30 

 minutes; in about 98 per cent of the total starch in 45 

 minutes ; and over 99 per cent of the total starch in 60 

 minutes. (Chart D 3.) 



The reaction with nitric acid begins immediately. 

 Complete gelatinization occurs in about 70 per cent of 

 the grains and 80 per cent of the total starch in 1 min- 

 ute; in about 80 per cent of the grains and 93 per cent 

 of the total starch in 2 minutes; in about 84 per cent 

 of the grains and 95 per cent of the total starch in 3 

 minutes ; in about 84 per cent of the grains and 98 per 

 cent of the total starch in 5 minutes ; in over 99 per cent 

 of the grains and the total starch in 10 minutes. Gela- 

 tinization is not entirely completed in 15, 30, and 60 

 minutes, respectively. (Chart D 4.) A small bubble 

 may appear at the hilum, which is more frequently in- 

 closed in a fissure, expands less and is more transient than 

 in A. belladonna. The lamellae become very sharply de- 

 fined and a refractive border is formed; the definition of 

 the lamellae is sharper and the border more prominent 

 and broader than in A. belladonna; definite fissures occur 

 which are deep, much branched, and varied in character 

 in relation to shape of grain ; the fissures are very much 

 more frequent and sharply defined than in A. belladonna. 

 Gelatinization in the majority of grains is much more 

 rapid in the distal border and may spread around the 

 entire grain which may become completely gelatinized 

 and much ruffled, or if the outermost lamella is quite 

 resistant the border may become much swollen and 

 bounded by a narrow layer of linearly arranged, refractive 

 granules. The lamellae of the main body of such grains 

 is disorganized into large refractive granules which fre- 

 quently resist complete gelatinization. In a minority of 

 grains the reaction generally advances more rapidly 

 through the mesial region, the distal border becoming 

 densely striated and broken into linearly arranged gran- 

 ules previous to gelatinization ; or the reaction may start 

 at two ends and advance towards the center of elongated 

 grains with nearly centric hilum. This reaction is more 

 varied and the methods of gelatinization not similar 

 to that observed in A. belladonna. The refractive gran- 

 ules are very much more commonly observed, are much 

 more numerous and larger in a given grain, and the 

 fissures much deeper, more common, and more varied in 

 character than in A. belladonna. 



The gelatinized grains are much swollen and dis- 

 torted and usually contain a few to many refractive 

 granules which are usually located around the hilum or 

 at the proximal end. The grains are much more dis- 

 torted than in A. belladonna and the most resistant starch 

 is located at or near the proximal end. 



The reaction with sulphuric acid begins immediately 

 and many grains are gelatinized in half a minute. Gela- 

 tinization is complete in about 87 per cent of the grains 

 and 99 per cent of the total starch in 2 minutes and in 

 over 99 per cent of the grains and total starch in 5 

 minutes. (Chart D 5.) 



