33 



Itis ifeseaxcl-xGS of Stahl on mosses were done to show that the oleose 

 bodies of these plants serve as organs of defense against the ravages of 

 snails. Eaciborski maintains that one may attribute even to elaioplasts 

 such a function, based on observations that the floral axes of such 

 Species of Gagea and Ornithogalum are not eaten by animals even when these 

 are found in dry soil, although the leaves are not respected. Such hypotheses 

 do not to me seem probable since it is to be noted that the elaioplasts 

 develop and function solely during a given period of the evolution of the 

 organs in which they are found, then disappear; henne they wou3.d he ;incapable 

 of protecting any organ whatever during its life against any herbivorous 

 animal. Therefore, even the direct observations exclude completely the 

 possibility that the elaioplasts have any defensive function to perform since^ 

 moreover, I have found in the leaves of Malvaceae (in which elaioplasts were 

 present) little pits caused by snails. These [snails] ate also the floral 

 axes of - fimkia co erulsa and Polianthes tuberosa which I fed them* 



Conclus ions . 

 :In the species which. I have exaomined the elaioplasta are found in .the 

 adult stage within the cytoplasm, now close to the nuclaus, now distant from 

 it. They occur generally in the form of sma 11 spheres attached in groups, 

 rarely in the form of single spheres. During their development they are 

 able to assume diverse forms but for the most part in a given species there 

 predominates a single form dependent on the number and size of the little 

 spheres which compos© them» 



