ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF RED COLOR IN VEGE- 
TATIVE PARTS IN THE NEW ENGLAND FLORA. 
BP. GRACE 5 MLTH: 
THE meaning of red color in the vegetative parts of plants 
is a subject which very early attracted attention. Beginning 
with Grew (1677), many observations and experiments have 
been made, resulting in several theories. Von Mohl* (1837) 
was the first of modern botanists to study the subject with thor- 
oughness, concluding, according to Overton’s review of his work, 
that red color is an incidental result of cooler temperature and 
intense light: Kuntze? (1877), on the other hand, gave an eco- 
logical significance to red color, considering it a protection 
against animals. Stahls (1888) showed that animals usually 
choose green leaves first, but if hungry eat either green or red 
leaves. Since this happens in the dark as well as in the light, 
some difference in the nourishing qualities or in the taste of the 
red leaves seems to be the determining factor of the choice. 
Pick* (1883), according to Stahl, held the theory that red color 
favors the breaking up and change of starch into sugar, by 
absorbing the light rays injurious to this change. Kerner 
thought the intense light is harmful to the plant, being destruc- 
tive to young chlorophyll, and that the red color forms a 
screen, thus permitting the change and passage of food mate- 
rials. Engelmann® (1886) gave no positive meaning to erythro- 
phyll, for it seemed sufficient to him that assimilation takes 
* Untersuchungen pity die winterliche Farbung der Blatter. Included in Ver- 
‘mischte Schriften 375-3 
Bese der ae gegen Tiere und Wetterungunst. Gratisbeilage zur 
Bot. Zeit. Leipzig, 1877. 
3 Pflanzen und Schnecken. Jenaisch Zeitsch, Nat. u. Med. 22 
*Bedeutung des rothen Farbstoffs bei den Phanerogamen ae die Beziehung 
desselben sur Starkewanderun Bot. Centralbl. 16: 281. 
5 Natural History of Plants (transl. by Oliver) 1: 101-103, 364-366, 483-499. 
®Die Farben bunten Laubblitter a ihre Bedeutung fiir die Zerlegung der 
Kohlensaure im Lichte. Bot. Zeit. 45:44 
332 [NOVEMBER 
