


VOLUME XXXI NUMBER 6 
BOLANICAL > GAwer Ee 
JUNE, tr901 ! 
A CONTRIBUTION TO THE LIFE HISTORY AND 
CYTOLOGY OF ERYTHRONIUM. 
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE BOTANICAL LABORATORY, OHIO 
STATE UNIVERSITY. VIII. 
Joun H. ScHAFFNER. 
(WITH PLATES IV—IX) 
SEVERAL years ago, while studying at the University of Chi- 
cago, the writer made a special investigation of the reduction 
nucleus in the ovule of Ziiium Philadelphicum, maintaining that a 
true reducing division occurs in this plant (29). Immediately 
after the completion of the investigation, search was made for 
another plant in which to continue the study of reduction, 
together with other points of interest in the life history. The 
type finally selected was Erythronium, and both £. alidum and 
E. Americanum have been studied. The work was carried on for 
some time at the University of Chicago, and has been continued 
for the past three years at the Ohio State University. The 
material was collected mainly near Chicago and in the vicinity 
of Columbus, but some was also obtained from Kansas. It is 
exceedingly difficult to procure the earlier stages of the flower, 
since bulbs with flower buds are very rare when compared with 
the numerous younger sterile ones. 
The usual methods of killing and staining were used; the 
killing fluids being chrom-acetic acid and Flemming’s weaker 
fluid; and the stains anilin-safranin and gentian-violet, Heiden- 
hain’s iron-alum-hematoxylin, Delafield’s haematoxylin, and 
369 
