NARCISSUS. 



545 



margin, and the starch distal to them and to the hilum 

 loses its structural appearance and becomes a finely 

 granular mass which is invaded by short cracks and fis- 

 sures at the margin. The material proximal to the fur- 

 rows and the hilum is very finely striated, and as the 

 distal deposit is slowly gelatinized it forms a finely 

 striated, refractive band at the proximal margin which 

 remains for some time after the distal portion is com- 

 pletely gelatinized, and in some grains is never entirely 

 disorganized. The third method is the same as the 

 first, except that there is no division of the grain into 

 primary and secondary starch and hence no granule 

 formation of the starch immediately surrounding the 

 hilum. 



The gelatinized grains are much swollen, have rather 

 thick capsules, and are not greatly distorted. 



Comparison of the pyrogallic-acid reactions between 

 N. poeticus ornatus and N. telamonius plenus shows : 



The hilum is as distinct, and the lamella? are at first 

 more but later less distinct than in N. telamonius plenus. 

 Gelatinizatiou proceeds according to two of the methods 

 described under N. telamonius plenum. In the first 

 method, which is seen in a larger majority of the grains 

 than in N. telamonius plenus, the secondary starch is 

 divided by very fine stria? instead of becoming homo- 

 geneous in appearance. The primary starch is always 

 divided into granules and scattered to the inner border 

 of the marginal band instead of sometimes remaining 

 clumped in the center of the grain, and the granules are 

 more refractive than in N. telamonius plenus. While in 

 the marginal band two layers may be seen — an inner 

 spicular and an outer striated portion — of which the 

 inner is gelatinized first. In the second method there 

 are no differences to be noted between the two starches. 

 The gelatinized grains are more swollen and the capsules 

 are not so thick as in N. telamonius plenus, but they are 

 no more distorted than in that starch. 



The reaction with nitric acid begins immediately. 

 Complete gelatinization occurs in about 3 per cent of the 

 grains and 1± per cent of the total starch in 5 minutes ; 

 in about 35 per cent of the grains and 65 per cent of the 

 total starch in 15 minutes; in about 55 per cent of the 

 grains and 75 per cent of the total starch in 30 minutes; 

 in about GO per cent of the grains and 80 per cent of the 

 total starch in 45 minutes; in about 65 per cent of the 

 grains and 85 per cent of the total starch in 60 minutes. 

 (Chart D 297.) 



The hilum becomes distinct, unaccompanied by the 

 formation of a bubble. The lamella are moderately dis- 

 tinct in the great majority of the grains and invisible in 

 a few grains. Gelatinization begins at the hilum and 

 progresses according to three types. In the first, which 

 occurs in the majority of the grains, the material around 

 the hilum, which probably represents the primary starch 

 formation, is split into particles of varying size, number, 

 and shape. These particles may be either completely 

 separated from one another and scattered widely as the 

 grain swells or may not be completely separated but 

 remain clumped together, while starch surrounding 

 them, which represents a secondary formation, is com- 

 pletely gelatinized. Gelatinization in this part of the 

 grain is preceded by the appearance of fine stria? radiating 

 in all directions to the margin, then gelatinization of the 



less resistant part of this starch begins with swelling of 

 the entire grain and the more resistant part is pushed 

 to the margin, where it forms a striated lamellated 

 baud, around the inner border of which the particles of 

 the primary starch are arranged. The marginal band 

 grows progressively thinner and more nearly transparent 

 and loses its striated appearance, but the lamellated ap- 

 pearance remains for a long time. In the second method 

 of gelatinization two furrows or fissures extend from the 

 hilum transversely or obliquely nearly to the margin, 

 the material just distal to the hilum is cracked and 

 divided into rather coarse granules, and the starch in- 

 cluded between the furrow and the hilum and the distal 

 margin is striated first and then transformed into a 

 mass of very fine granules which is much cracked and 

 fissured at the margin. The portion at the proximal 

 end, which is the most resistant in the whole grain, be- 

 comes striated, and as the grain swells forms a striated, 

 lamellated band at the margin of the proximal end and 

 sides nearby, which remains for some time after the distal 

 portion of the grain is completely gelatinized. The 

 third method of gelatinization is the same as the first, 

 except that there is no division of the grain into primary 

 and secondary starch, and there is no granule or fragment 

 formation. The gelatinized grains are much swollen and 

 have thick capsules, but are not much distorted, retain- 

 ing some resemblance to the form of the untreated grain. 

 Comparison of the nitric-acid reactions of N. poeticus 

 ornatus and N. telamonius plenus shows : 



The hilum is as distinct and the lamella? are at first 

 more distinct, but later become much less distinct, than 

 in N. telamonius plenus. Gelatinization always begins 

 at the hilum and proceeds according to the three methods 

 noted in N. telamonius plenus, but there is a much 

 smaller number reacting according to the second and 

 third types described than in N. telamonius plenus. In 

 the first type the stria? are not so fine and the fragments 

 into which the primary starch is broken are smaller, 

 more numerous, and more refractive and are more apt 

 to be scattered to the marginal band than to remain 

 clumped together, and the lamellar appearance in the 

 marginal band is not so persistent as in N. telamonius 

 plenus. The gelatinized grains are more swollen and 

 the capsules much less thick, but the grains are not 

 much more distorted than in N. telamonius plenus. 



The reaction with sulphuric acid begins immediately. 

 Complete gelatinization occurs in about 92 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 298.) 

 The hilum is distinct and a bubble is formed in the 

 majority of the grains. The lamella? are moderately 

 distinct in some grains but not in others. Gelatinization 

 begins at the hilum and progresses according to but one 

 method. The primary, which can be clearly distinguished 

 from the secondary starch in all of the grains, is par- 

 tially separated from the latter deposit by a fissure, 

 and the secondary starch is first divided into concentric 

 groups of lamella? by irregular fissures and then is rapidly 

 gelatinized. In some grains the primary starch is gela- 

 tinized at the same time and in others not until later, 

 becoming granular in the interior and having the more 

 resistant material at the margin as an ordinary simple 



