140 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [SEPTEMBER 
demonstrated, he concluded that the oil was split up into free fatty 
acid and glycerine. 
GREEN (7), while investigating the reserve products of Ricinus 
communis seeds during germination, discovered the enzyme lipase. 
He proved that this enzyme was capable of splitting the glycerides 
of this seed into glycerine and fatty acid. This investigator con- 
cluded that glycerine gave rise to sugar, while the fatty acids gave 
rise to vegetable acids. He also demonstrated the presence of a 
trypsin-like enzyme, which digested proteids. In a later paper 
(8) he continued the same investigation and worked especially on 
the lecithin and sugar content. The lecithin was thought of as 
being derived from the oils, phosphatic globoids, and proteins. 
In this paper he discussed the improbability of oa being formed 
from glycerine. 
In 1895 LEcLERC DU SABLON (13) investigated many seeds and 
finally concluded that saccharose or a nearly related sugar was 
derived from oils without the glycerine being set free, as in ordinary 
saponification. MILLER (15), in his studies on the sunflower, 
records the gradual disappearance of reserve oil and protein mate- 
rial from the cotyledons, with the increase of sugar and protein-free 
nitrogen in the hypocotyl and roots. In 1912 IvANow (10). fol- 
lowed the transformation of the oils in seeds during germination. 
He chose for his work seeds having saturated fatty acids, and 
others having unsaturated fatty acids. The unsaturated fatty acids 
were found to be transformed first, and later the saturated fatty 
acids were used. He ascribed the fall in the iodine number of the 
fats to the more rapid transformation of the unsaturated fatty 
acids to carbohydrates, and not to the formation of acids of shorter 
chains. : 
KosseEL (12), as early as 1891, believed lecithin to be present 
in all protoplasts. SToKLasA (21) states that the phosphatides of 
rape seeds during five days’ germination increased from 0.45 to 
5.22 per cent. The dry beet seed with a phosphatide content of 
0.45 was found to contain 1.78 per cent after nine days’ germination. 
CzaPEK (2) quotes data from Scuvutze and his school, also others, 
showing the general distribution and percentage of phosphatides 
in plant tissues. FRANKFURT (6) in 1894 studied the seeds and 
