res OE oe ONCE ERS OTD cE ERR ST rset eet PENT ee NED EAM SRST Set eS SRY Oe Ee eT eT TS ON a Te NERO Me ee ee 
1900] THE CELL PLATE IN HIGHER PLANTS gl 
chromosomes often appear as single coarse fibers. This appear- 
ance is probably due to the closer crowding of the small fibers 
by the chromosomes. It is possible that in some cases this 
crowding together has gone to such an extent as to result in an 
actual lateral fusion of the fibers, such as Guignard suggested. The 
above-described condition of connecting fibers is doubtless what 
led Nemec to conclude that during the metaphases there were 
new coarse fibers formed reaching merely between the daughter 
chromosomes. I have been able to determine that in most 
cases the fibers can be traced through to the poles, and that they 
often appear to separate into smaller fibers beyond the chromo- 
somes in the way described by Strasburger for the larch. In 
the larch, in which the fibers show their compound character 
much more clearly, the true relation is still more distinctly seen 
(fig. 2). While I have not been able to confirm the observations 
of Nemec (op. cit., p- 329) as to the presence of secondary 
fibers during the metaphases which are formed merely between 
the groups of daughter chromosomes, I have often observed 
that the above-mentioned blue-stained granules appear to be 
very numerous in the region of the spindle. They often appear 
in rows and sometimes seem to be sticking to the connecting 
fibers. But such a regular arrangement is not at all character- 
istic. They are as frequently scattered in the ground substance 
of md protoplasm (fig. 25). That they are formed from dis- 
integrating secondary fibers seems impossible to believe when 
We consider the fact that they may be scattered throughout the 
whole cell as described above. As to the function or ultimate 
~ of these granules I could learn nothing definite. They seem 
0 si distinct from the ordinary granules of the trophoplasm in 
Staining qualities alone. The fact that they showed most plainly 
on the region of the spindle may simply mean that they are more 
pee distinguished by form from the spindle fibers, which in 
ag€ are not abundant, than they are from the other gran- 
ules appearing in the cell. 
eS eke 8 above mentioned processes have been taking place 
necting fibers, the radiating fibers and the cytoplasm 
