238 THE PLANT. X. 



formed. Hence the necessity of light in proteid formation 

 really depends upon the production of abundance of carbo- 

 hydrates. Asparagine is probably an intermediate product 

 between nitrates and proteids and accumulates in the plant 

 if the conditions for proteid production are not favourable.* 



Since asparagine seems undoubtedly to be produced from 

 proteids when translocation of nitrogenous matter takes place, 

 it appears that amides are products both of anabolism and 

 katabolism. It has been shown that in many plants the 

 leaves cut in the morning contain much less starch and nitro- 

 genous material than similar leaves cut in the evening, prov- 

 ing that during the night there is a transference of starch and 

 albuminoids, stored during the day in the leaves, to other parts 

 of the plant.! 



The Flowers and Seeds. The formation of flowers and 

 seeds is a process which in many plants is the final act of their 

 vitality. During flow r ering, true respiration, i.e., oxidation of 

 carbonaceous matter and evolution of carbon dioxide, takes 

 place more rapidly than usual, and in some cases to an extent 

 sufficient to bring about a sensible rise of temperature. It 

 must be remembered that respiration goes on during the whole 

 of a plant's active existence, but during daylight is more than 

 counterbalanced by the assimilative process already described. 



In certain plants biennials preparation for the great work 

 of seed formation occupies the whole of their first year's life. A 

 large store of reserve material is accumulated, either in the 

 root or stem, and during the second year this is utilised in the 

 production of a flower stem and seeds. 



During the formation of seed a concentration of nutritive 

 matter from the stem, root, and foliage into the seed takes 

 place, and the main portions of the plant are thus robbed of 

 most of their important constituents. In many plants the 

 maximum amounts of nutritive matters are found in the leaves, 

 stems, &c., immediately before flowering. 



A store of food material, intended for the nourishment of a 

 new plant, accumulates in the seed. Albuminoids are always 



* Kinoshita, J.C.S. 1896, ii. 54; Suzuki, J.C.S. 1899, 323. 

 t Suzuki, J.C.S. 1897, abst. ii. 580. 



