ASPARAGIN 429 



about 10 per cent; ash about 5 per cent. An infusion of althaea is 

 colored bright yellow with dilute solutions of the alkalies. 



Asparagin (/3-asparagin, the monamide of aspartic acid) is an 

 amido compound which is most widely distributed throughout the 

 vegetable kingdom. It is not only found in reserve organs as the 

 tubers of the potato and dahlia, the roots of althaea, belladonna, 

 etc., and the seeds of the chestnut tree, but it also occurs in young 

 shoots as of asparagus and in peas, beans, and other members of the 

 Leguminosae. Asparagin has also been detected in some of the fungi 

 as the Agaricinese and certain of the Myxomycetes. Unlike certain 

 derivatives of urea it is a plastic product playing a very important 

 role in plant metabolism. On account of its crystalline character 

 and solubility in water, it is classed among the translocatory sub- 

 stances, appearing not only when proteids are being utilized by the 

 plant, but when they are being formed. The crystals of asparagin 

 are formed rather easily from the expressed juices of young shoots, 

 and may be obtained even in sections upon mounting them in gly- 

 cerin. The crystals vary in length from 0.3 mm. to 1.5 mm. 



Asparagin occurs in two forms, one of which is laevo-rotatory 

 and the other dextro-rotatory; the former is the one usually present 

 in plants. At 17.5 C. 1 part of asparagin is soluble in 47 parts of 

 distilled water; 'at 98 C., 1 part is soluble in 1.9 parts of distilled 

 water. 1 



Allied Plants. The roots of a number of other genera of this 

 family are used for similar purposes, as those of Kosteletzyka penta- 

 carpa of southern Europe; Hibiscus Bancroftianus of the West 

 Indies; Malvaviscus pentacarpus of Mexico; H. Rosa Sinensis of 

 tropical Asia and cultivated; Althaea rosea of the Levant and cul- 

 tivated; and Sida ovalis of Peru. Mucilage is also found in the 

 flowers and leaves of one or more species of Malva, Sida, Pavonia, 

 Hibiscus, Pachira and Eriodendron. 



ALTILEA FOLIA. Marshmallow Leaves, Eibischblatter. The 

 leaves of Althaea officinalis (Fam. Malvacaea), a perennial herb com- 

 mon in the salt marshes of New England and New York, naturalized 

 from Europe and cultivated quite extensively. The leaves are 

 gathered at the time of flowering of the plant during June and July, 

 and carefully dried. 



Description. Leaves broadly ovate, having petioles, about 2.5 

 cm. in length; lamina from 5 to 10 cm. in length and 3 to 8 cm. in 

 breadth; summit acute, base somewhat truncate or heart-shaped; 



1 Grattarola, Zeitschr. f. Krystallog., 1892, p. 618. For microphotographs 

 of Asparagin, consult Kraemer's Applied and Economic Botany, p. 168. 



