NARCISSUS. 



579 



extensively. The fissures have the following forms: 

 (1) A single straight or curved transverse, oblique, or, 

 rarely, longitudinal line; (2) Y, T, V, and cruciate 

 forms; (3) flying-bird forms; (-1) an irregularly stellate 

 arrangement of several fissures. The hilum is some- 

 times centric, but it is usually eccentric from 0.45 to 

 0.3, usually 0.33, of the longitudinal axis. 



The lamella are usually not visible, but can be seen 

 rather indistinctly in some grains and appear as rather 

 coarse continuous rings which have, in general, the 

 form of the outline of the grain. They are more easily 

 seen near the hilum than near the margin. The number 

 could not be determined. 



In size the' grains vary from the smaller which are 

 3 by 3/*, to the larger which are 32 by 46/*, in length 

 and breadth. The common sizes are 22 by 32/*, and 

 32 by 24/*. 



Comparison of the histologic properties between N. 

 madame de graaff and N. monarch shows : 



There are more aggregates and fewer compound 

 grains, and the compound grains, while belonging in gen- 

 eral to the same two types, often have more components 

 than those of N. monarch. There are more simple 

 grains which show a primary and a secondary period of 

 starch formation. The grains are somewhat more irreg- 

 ular in form, and the irregularities are due to the same 

 causes with addition of irregularly placed pressure facets. 

 The forms are as varied as in N. monarch. 



The hilum is less often fissured, and the fissures are 

 no more deep or extensive than in N. monarch. The 

 fissures have the same forms. The hilum is usually some- 

 what less eccentric, the common degree of eccentricity 

 being 0.37 of the longitudinal axis. 



The lamella! are more often visible and are somewhat 

 more distinct. They are also not so coarse as in N. 

 monarch. 



In size the grains are not quite so large, the common 

 sizes being 20 by 24/t, 24 by 24/*, and 30 by 24/t. 



Polariscopic Properties. 



The figure is often not distinct and never well defined. 

 The lines cross at angles of widely varying size, and are 

 very often bent and moderately often bisected. There 

 are also a number of figures which have the form of a 

 conjugate hyperbola, or of a long line with bisected ends. 



The degree of polarization varies from low to high 

 (value 40). There are very few grains in which it is 

 high, and a large majority in which it is low or moderate. 

 There is considerable variation in a given aspect of the 

 same grain. 



With selenite the quadrants are not clean-cut, and are 

 unequal in size and often irregular in shape. The colors 

 are not pure, and there are a very few which have a 

 greenish tinge. 



Comparison of the polariscopic properties between 

 N. madame de graaff and N. monarch shows: 



The figure is more distinct and sometimes well de- 

 fined. The lines do not cross at angles of such widely 

 varying size and are not so often bent or bisected. There 

 are fewer figures which have the form of a conjugate 

 hyperbola, or of a long line bisected at both ends. 



The degree of polarization is somewhat lower (value 

 37), as there are more grains in which it is low and 

 fewer in which it is moderate. 



With selenite the quadrants are more often clean-cut, 

 and are not so often irregular in form. The colors are 

 not pure, and there is the same number of grains which 

 have a greenish tinge. 



Iodine Reactions. 



With 0.25 per cent Lugol's solution the grains all 

 color a moderate violet with a very slight bluish tinge 

 (value 50). The color deepens with moderate rapidity 

 until it is very deep, at the same time assuming a more 

 bluish tint. With 0.125 per cent Lugol's solution the 

 grains all color a light violet, and the color deepens with 

 moderate rapidity until the grains are deeply colored 

 and the color has assumed a somewhat bluish tint. After 

 heating in water until all the grains are completely gela- 

 tinized and then treating with a 2 per cent Lugol's solu- 

 tion, the gelatinized grains all color an indigo-blue and 

 the solution an indigo-blue. If the preparation is boiled 

 for 2 minutes and then treated with an excess of a 2 

 per cent Lugol's solution, the grain-residues all color a 

 light indigo, the capsules a red or reddish violet, and the 

 solution a very deep indigo. 



Comparison of the iodine reactions between N. ma- 

 dame de graaff and N. monarch shows: 



With 0.25 and 0.125 per cent Lugol's solution the 



grains all color the same as in N. monarch. After 



heating in water until the grains are all gelatinized, the 



grains color a moderate indigo and the solution a deep 



indigo as in N. monarch. After boiling for 2 minutes, 



the grain-residues, the capsules, and the solution color as 



in N. monarch. 



Aniline Reactions. 



With gentian violet the grains all color very lightly 

 at once, and in 30 minutes they are moderately colored 

 (value 45). The grains are all equally deeply colored, 

 and there is no variation in the depth of the color in 

 different parts of the same grain. 



With safranin the grains all color very lightly at once, 

 and in 30 minutes they are moderately colored (value 

 50), more than with gentian violet. The grains are all 

 equally deeply colored, and there is no variation in depth 

 of the color in different parts of the same grain. 



Comparison of the aniline reactions between N. 

 madame de graaff and N. monarch shows: 



With gentian violet the grains are light to moderately 

 colored (value 43) somewhat less than in N. monarch. 



With safranin the grains are moderately colored 

 (value 53), somewhat more than N. monarch. 



Temperature Reactions. 



The temperature of gelatinization of the majority 

 of the grains is 67° to 68.5° C, and of all is 72° to 

 73° C, mean 72.5° C. 



Comparison of the temperature reactions between N. 

 madame de graaff and N. monarch shows: 



The temperature of gelatinization is somewhat 

 higher, 73.5° to 75° C, mean 74.25° C. 



Effects of Various Reagents. 

 The reaction with chloral hydrate begins in 2 min- 

 utes. Complete gelatinization occurs in 0.5 per cent of 

 the entire number of grains and 2 per cent of the total 

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

 and 10 per cent of the total starch in 15 minutes; in 

 about 14 per cent of the grains and 18 per cent of the 



