HiEMANTHUS. 



47 



or deficit of parental extremes is more common than 

 intermediateness, for in 31 reactions the hybrids were 

 higher than those of either parent and in 9 lower than 

 those of either parent. In case of all three hybrids the 

 seed parent seems to be the more potent in iniluencing 

 the characters of the starch, this potency being the most 

 marked in H. ossultan-pyrrJia and least marked in H. 

 dcBones-zephyr. 



5. OOMPAEISONS OF THE StAECHES OF H^MANTHUS 

 KATHEEIIf^, H. MAGH^IFICUSj AND H. ATTDEOMEDA. 



In histologic characteristics, in polariscopic figures, 

 in the reactions with selenite, in the reactions with 

 iodine, and in the qualitative reactions with the various 

 chemical reagents it will be noted that the parent starches 

 not only exhibit properties in common in variable de- 

 grees of development, but also individualities which col- 

 lectively serve to distinguish them. 



The starch grains of Hmnanthus magnificus contain 

 proportionately a larger number of aggregates; there, 

 are compound grains that are not found in H. hatherince; 

 and the grains tend to more irregularity, to more breadth 

 in relation to length, and to rounded ends. The hilum 

 is more distinct and more frequently fissured, but the 

 eccentricity is about the same; the lamellae are less 

 distinct; and the size is larger, with a tendency to 

 broadness. In polariscopic figure and reactions with 

 selenite there are various differences. The grains of the 

 hybrid H. andromeda are in form in general closer 

 to those of H. hatherince, and in certain respects closer 

 to those of the other parent. They are more irregular 

 than those of either parent, and there are compound 

 grains like those found in H. magnificus, but they are 

 less numerous. In the character of the hilum and in size 

 they are closer to those of H. Jcatherinw, but in lamellae 

 there does not appear to be a definite leaning toward one 

 or the other parent. In the polariscopic figure and 

 appearances with selenite the grains are closer to H. 

 hatherince, and the same is true in regard to their quali- 

 tative behavior with iodine. In the qualitative reac- 

 tions with chloral hydrate, nitric acid, potassium iodide, 

 potassium sulphocyanate, and sodium salicylate the 

 grains show a close relationship to those of H. hatherince, 

 except in the case of a few grains in each reaction which 

 show a corresponding relationship to H. magnificus. On 

 the whole, the relationship is very close to H. hatherince. 



Reaction-intensities Expressed hy Light, Color, and Tempera- 

 ture Reactions. 

 Polarization: 



H. katherinse, high to very high, value 75. 



H. magnificus, very high, much higher than H. katherinse, value 90. 

 H. andromeda, high to very high, higher than H. katherinse, 

 value 82. 

 Iodine: 



H. katherinse, moderate to light, value 45. 

 H. magnificus, moderate, deeper than H. katherinse, value 50. 

 H. andromeda, moderate to deep, a little deeper than H. katherinse, 

 value 47. 

 Gentian violet: 



H. katherinse, moderate to deep, value 60. 



H. magnificus, moderate to deep; not so deep as H. katherinse, 



value 55. 

 H. andromeda, moderate to deep, slightly lighter than H. katherinse, 

 value 58. 

 Safranin: 

 H. katherinse, moderate to deep, value 60. 



H. magnificus, moderate to deep, the same as H. katherinse, value 60. 

 H. andromeda, moderate to deep, lighter than in the parent-stock, 

 value 58. 

 Temperature: 

 H. katherinse, majority at 79 to 81°, all at 82 to 84", mean 83°. 

 H. magnificus, majority at 77 to 77.5°, all at 78 to 79°, mean 78.5°, 

 H. andromeda, majority at 75.5 to 80°, all at 81 to 82°, mean 81.5°. 



The reactivities of H. hatherince are lower than 

 those of H. magnificus in the reactions with polarization, 



iodine, and temperature; higher with gentian violet; and 

 the same with safranin. The reactivities of the hybrid 

 are intermediate in the reactions with polarization, io- 

 dine, gentian violet, and temperature; and lower than 

 those of the parents with safranin. With the excep- 

 tion of the last and the temperature reaction the rela- 

 tionship of the hybrid is practically exactly mid-inter- 

 mediate, and in the temperature reaction it is closer to 

 H. hatherince. 



Table A 5 shows the reaction-intensities in percent- 

 ages of total starch gelatinized at definite intervals 

 (minutes) : 



Velooity-eeaction Cueves. 



This section treats of the velocity-reaction curves 

 of the starches of Hcemanthus hatherince, H. magnificus, 

 and H. andromeda, showing the quantitative differences 

 in the behavior toward different reagents at definite time- 

 intervals. (Chart D 85 to D 105.) 



The most conspicuous features of these charts are : 



(1) The individualities of each chart in relation to 

 the reagent, except in the cases where the reactions are 

 so slow and the figures so close as to be within the limits 

 of error. In the charts in which the reactions are other- 

 wise than very slow the three curves vary in their close- 

 ness to one another within wide limits. Thus, in the 

 reactions with chromic acid and sulphuric acid all three 

 curves keep close together throughout the 60 minutes, 

 but the charts are readily distinguishable from each 

 other, especially at the 15- and 30-minute periods, at 

 which times the curves are much higher in the sulphuric- 

 acid chart. The curves for chloral hydrate, nitric acid, 

 and hydrochloric acid show a tendency during the prog- 

 ress of the reactions to divergence, in all three charts 

 the curves of the hybrid being intermediate, but in two 

 closer to the curve of H. hatherince. The chart for 

 sodium salicylate stands isolated, owing especially to 

 the relatively high reactivities of the hybrid and M. 

 hatheriruB during the first 5 minutes. In all of the 

 charts in which the three curves are sufficiently separated, 

 to make satisfactory determinations, the curve of the 

 hybrid, with the exception of a few instances, tends defi- 

 nitely to intermediateness. 



(8) The curves of H. magnificus in the reactions 

 with chloral hydrate, pyrogallic acid, chromic acid, po- 

 tassium hydroxide, potassium sulphocyanate, sodium 

 salicylate, and sodium hydroxide, in all of which the 

 reactivities are sufficiently marked to bring out positive 

 differences in reactive-intensities, are the highest except- 

 ing in two cases (chloral hydrate and sodium salicylate), 

 in both of which the curves of H. hatherince are the high- 

 est — a curious reversal of position. In all of the charts 

 in which positive differences have been brought out, the 

 curve of the hybrid tends to be closer to that of H. hath- 

 erince irrespective of the position of the latter in relation 

 to the curve of H. magnificus. 



(3) The curves of the hybrid, except in the reactions 

 in which all three curves are essentially the same, tend to 

 be the same as those of the seed parent or of some degree 

 of intermediateness. In the latter group there is an 

 obvious tendency to mid-intermediateness or to the seed 

 parent. 



Eeaction-intensities of the Htbeid. 



The following section treats of the reaction-intensi- 

 ties of the hybrid as regards sameness, intermediateness, 

 excess, and deficit in relation to the parents. (Table A 5 

 and Charts D 85 to D 105.) 



The reactivities of the hybrid are the same as those 

 of the seed parent in the pyrogallic acid, potassium 

 iodide, potassium sulphocyanate, sodium hydroxide, so- 

 dium sulphide, calcium nitrate, uranium nitrate, and 



