116 



HISTOLOGIC PROPERTIES AND REACTIONS. 



safranin, chromic acid, pyrogallic acid, and potassium 

 sulphocyanate ; the low with temperature, chloral hy- 

 drate, and hydrochloric acid, potassium iodide, sodium 

 hydroxide, and sodium sulphide ; and the very low reac- 

 tions with nitric acid, potassium hydroxide, potassium 

 sulphide, calcium nitrate, uranium nitrate, strontium 

 nitrate, cobalt nitrate, copper nitrate, cupric chloride, 

 barium chloride, and mercuric chloride. 



(5) In G. cardinalis the very high reactions with 

 polarization and sulphuric acid; the high reactions with 

 iodine and sodium salicylate ; the moderate reactions with 

 gentian violet, safranin, and chromic acid ; the low reac- 

 tions with chloral hydrate and hydrochloric acid ; and the 

 very low reactions with temperature, pyrogallic acid, 

 nitric acid, potassium hydroxide, potassium iodide, potas- 

 sium sulphocyanate, potassium sulphide, sodium hydrox- 

 ide, sodium sulphide, calcium nitrate, uranium nitrate, 

 strontium nitrate, cobalt nitrate, copper nitrate, cupric 

 chloride, barium chloride, and mercuric chloride. 



(6) In the hybrid the very high reactions with 

 polarization and sulphuric acid ; the absence of any high 

 reaction; the moderate reactions with iodine, gentian 

 violet, safranin, chromic acid, and sodium salicylate ; the 

 low reaction with temperature; the very low reactions 

 with chloral, hydrate, pyrogallic acid, nitric acid, hydro- 

 chloric acid, potassium hydroxide, potassium iodide, po- 

 tassium sulphocyanate, potassium sulphide, sodium 

 hydroxide, sodium sulphide, calcium nitrate, uranium 

 nitrate, strontium nitrate, cobalt nitrate, copper nitrate, 

 cupric chloride, barium chloride, and mercuric chloride. 



Following is a summary of the reaction-intensities : 



35. COMPAEISONS OF THE StAECHES OF TeITONIA 

 POTTSII, T. CEOCOSMIA AUEEA, AND T. CEOOOS- 

 MiEFLOEA. 



In histologic characteristics, polariscopic figures, reac- 

 tions with selenite, reactions with iodine, and qualitative 

 reactions with the various chemical reagents the starches 

 of the parents and hybrid exhibit properties in common 

 in varying degrees of development and also certain indi- 

 vidualities, which latter, although as a rule of a minor 

 character, are in conjunction with the properties in 

 common suiBcient for differential purposes. The starch of 

 Tritonia crocosmia aurea in comparison with that of T. 

 pottsii shows among the most conspicuous differences in 

 form a larger proportion of permanently isolated grains ; 

 more numerous compound grains of two components; 

 less numerous grains with well-defined pressure facets; 

 triangular grains more elongated ; and varied proportions 

 of other types of grains. The hiliun is more refractive ; a 

 rounded or irregular cavity is more frequently found; 

 more often fissured, and the clefts are as a rule deeper ; 

 there are some differences in the forms of fissuration; 

 and eccentricity is slightly greater. The lamellse are 

 less distinct; a marginal band of refractive lamellae 

 is more frequently present; the numbers are about the 

 same. The sizes differ but little. In the polariscopic, 

 selenite, and qualitative iodine reactions there are numer- 

 ous differences which are seemingly of a minor charac- 

 ter. In the qualitative reactions with chloral hydrate, 

 hydrochloric acid, potassium iodide, sodium hydroxide, 

 and sodium salicylate many differences are recorded, some 

 of which are individually quite distinctive. The starch 



of the hybrid in comparison with the parental starches is 

 found to show markedly the influences of both parents ; 

 leaning to one or the other parent or sameness with 

 both are very conspicuous. In form the differences are 

 essentially in the varying proportions of different types 

 of grains, the starch of the hybrid being closer to that 

 of T. crocosmia aurea. The hilum in eccentricity is 

 closer to that of T. crocosmia aurea, but in every other 

 character closer to the other parent. The lamellae and 

 size differ but little from those of the parents, and in 

 both respects the relationship is closer to T. pottsii. In 

 the polariscopic, selenite, and qualitative iodine reac- 

 tions, and in the reactions with the various chemical 

 reagents there are leanings to one or the other parent, 

 or sameness to both, but on the whole distinctly toward 

 T. crocosmia aurea. Notwithstanding the closeness of 

 all three starches it is quite remarkable how readily the 

 variable parental leanings of the hybrid are detected. 



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

 ture Reactions. 

 Polarization: 



T. pottsii, moderate to very high, value 70. 



T. crocosmia aurea, high to very high, higher than in T. pottsii, 



value 75. 

 T. crocosmceflora, moderate to very high, lower than in T. pottsii, 

 value 67. 

 Iodine : 



T. pottsii, very light, value 10. 

 T. crocosmia aurea, moderate, value 50. 

 T. crooosmseflora, light, value 25. 

 Gentian violet: 



T. pottsii, light to moderate, value 40. 



T. crocosmia aurea, light to moderate, lighter than T. pottsii, 



value 35. 

 T. crocosmseflora, light to moderate, the same as T. pottsii, 

 value 40. 

 Safranin : 

 T. pottsii, light to moderate, value 40. 

 T. crocosmia aurea, light to moderate, lower than T, pottsii, 



value 35. 

 T. crocosmseflora, light to moderate, deeper than in the parents, 

 value 45. 

 Temperature : 



T. pottsii, majority at 73 to 75°, all at 76 to 77.5°, mean 76.75°. 

 T. crocosmia aurea, majority at 78 to 80°, all at 80 to 82°, mean 81°. 

 T. crocosmffiflora, majority at 74 to 76°, all at 76 to 78°, mean 77°. 



The reactivity of T. pottsii is higher than that of T. 

 crocosmia aurea in the polarization and iodine reac- 

 tions, and higher in the gentian-violet, safranin, and 

 temperature reactions. The reactivity of the hybrid is 

 intermediate in the iodine reaction; the same as that 

 of T. pottsii in the gentian-violet and temperature reac- 

 tions; lowest of the three in the polarization reaction; 

 and the highest of the three in the safranin reaction. 

 The relationship throughout is closer to T. pottsii. 



Table A 35 shows the reaction-intensities in percent- 

 ages of total starch gelatinized at definite intervals 

 (minutes). 



Velocitt-keaction Cueves. 



This section treats of the velocity-reaction curves of 

 the starches of Tritonia pottsii, T. crocosmia aurea, and 

 T. crocosmceflora, showing the quantitative differences in 

 the behavior toward different reagents at definite time- 

 intervals. ( Charts D 484 to D 504.) 



Among the most conspicuous features of these charts 

 are the foUowiug: 



(1) Excepting the sulphuric-acid and barium-chlo- 

 ride reactions in which the differences in reactivity are 

 insignificant, the starches of the parents exhibit well- 

 defined differences which are very variable in extent with 

 the different reagents. With all of the reagents, ex- 

 cepting those noted and chloral hydrate, T. pottsii has the 

 higher reactivity, but in the reactions with the latter it 



