Influence of Certain Carbohydrates on Green Plants 13 



the roots of bean, ground ivy, wild marigold, and a number of other plants. 

 The glucose gives rise to the formation of starch in the leaves of the plants 

 studied. 



There is also included in Laurent's paper a consideration of the effect 

 of organic substances on the morphology and anatomy of peas. 



Maze and Perrier (1904), employing water cultures, grew corn under 

 sterile conditions, noting the influence of saccharose, glucose, ethyl alcohol, 

 and methyl alcohol on the growth. The plants grown in the dark for a 

 period of forty-nine days had a dry weight of approximately fifty per 

 cent of the original dry weight of the seed. Under the same conditions, 

 except for the addition of saccharose, the plants showed a greater dry 

 weight than that of the original seed. In the light the plants made 

 excellent growth. In one culture of thirty days duration, the plant 

 attained a dry weight of 21.9 grams, having absorbed in this time 10.446 

 grams of saccharose. The original amount of sugar added was 32.088 

 grams to the three-liter flask. At the end of the experiment there remained 

 only 1.359 grams of saccharose, but 21.328 grams invert sugar. Invertase 

 apparently was secreted by the roots. The saccharose seemed to be utilized 

 more efficiently than the glucose. Glycerin and ethyl alcohol, while 

 probably slightly assimilated, yet were injurious at the concentrations 

 employed. Methyl alcohol 4.5 parts per 100 permitted better growth 

 than the check plant made, and apparently was assimilated. 



In a subsequent paper Maze (1911) states that corn is capable of absorb- 

 ing starch and peptone. The starch was not transformed in the culture 

 solution, and, contrary to his previous results, Maze did not note any 

 inversion of the saccharose. The absorption of colloidal organic substances 

 as starch is not in agreement with the results of other investigators. 



Molliard (1907) studied the influence of various sugars, and also glycerin, 

 on the growth, morphology, and anatomy of the common garden radish 

 {Raphanus sativus), of cress {Nasturtium officinale), of morning glory 

 {Ipomoea purpurea), and of onion {Allium cepa). He employed various 

 sugar concentrations ranging from two to fifteen per cent, and noted that 

 in the case of the radish the sugars could be absorbed and Assimilated. 

 Various morphological modifications were induced by the different con- 

 centrations with radish. Glucose, fructose, saccharose, and maltose 

 influenced the plant similarly. Enlarged roots were produced only when 

 the culture medium contained between five and fifteen per cent of glucose. 



