390 GAISER: CRYSTALS IN THE SPADIX OF ANTHURIUM 
While making a more general cytological study of Anthurium 
I have observed numerous cells containing stellate crystals in 
which the relations of these crystals to the nucleus and other 
cell elements can be seen with great clearness. There is an 
abundant literature dealing with the position of the crystals in 
plant cells. Wakker (23), using De Vries’ method, 10 per 
cent potassium nitrate and eosin solution, for studying the vacu- 
olar membrane, examined cells of Anthurium Hookeri, containing 
various crystal formations. For such studies the crystal druses, 
he claims, give the greatest difficulty since the plasma and 
vacuole wall die simultaneously and it is thus difficult to isolate 
the vacuoles. However, occasionally favorable preparations 
were obtained and he describes a cell containing a vacuole in 
which lay a very young druse. He gives no illustrations of the 
Anthurium but for Hoya carnosa figures a cell from a leaf 
showing very clearly that the stellate crystal there lies in the 
vacuole. For Ricinus communis a row of cells gives similar 
evidence. After a detailed description of the finding of crystals 
in vacuoles in Hoya carnosa, Anthurium Hookeri, and Ricinus 
communis he lists all the plant organs in which such crystal aggre- 
gates are claimed to be similarly situated. In summarizing he 
claims that calcium oxalate is never deposited in the plasma 
but only in the vacuole. As to the position and appearance of 
the nucleus he makes no special statement. 
The material I have studied consists of spadices of various 
Anthurium species, fixed in Flemming’s ‘strong and medium 
chromic-osmic-acetic solutions for twenty-four and forty-eight 
hours. Sections were cut 5 u, 7-5 4, 12 4, and 18 wu thick, and 
stained chiefly with the triple gentian-safranin-orange G stain, 
though the double fuchsin and iodine green stain was also used. 
Calcium oxalate crystals of the aggregate or stellate type were 
found in great abundance through the central axis of the spadix 
and in the perianth. These crystals give the ordinary test for 
calcium oxalate, i. e., solution in nitric acid and in hydrochloric 
acid without formation of gas bubbles. My drawings are all 
from preparations of Anthurium grande. Other species studied 
were Anthurium acaule, A. Andreanum, A. gracile, A. Guildingii, 
A. magnificum, A. Olfersianum, A. scandens, A. Scherzerianum, 
A. variabile, and a small unidentified epiphytic species from 
Panama growing in the Columbia University greenhouse. The 
