PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 13 



and strong acids convert phyllocyanin into pliyllo- 

 taonin ; that alkalis convert " leaf-green " into 

 alkachlorophyll, which, on treatment with acids 

 and alcohol, yields an alkylether of phyllotaonin ; 

 and that on heating phyllotaonin with alcoholic 

 potash, phylloporphyrin is obtained. 



According to the important researches of Gantier, 

 Etard^ and others there appear to be many 

 chlorophylls in nature. It is no argument to say 

 that because chlorophyll is a green pigment, and 

 that it appears to perform a definite function, 

 there can be only one which is homogeneous, or 

 one composed of xanthophyll and cyanophyll ; we 

 might just as well say that because there are 

 yellow and red chromophylls in the petals of 

 flowers they are identical in composition (even 

 their spectra differ .considerably).^ No doubt, 

 there are many chlorophylls (chloroglobins), as 

 well as numerous chromophylls, in the vegetable 

 kingdom. 



It has been ascertained that certain chlorophylls 

 soluble in pentane, are the agents of the chemical 



^ Etard, La BiocMmie et les Ghlorophylles ; Gautier, Ghimie 

 Biologique, p. 19 ; A. B. Griffiths, Bespwatory Proteids, and his 

 paper in the Ghemical News, vol. 91, p. 76. 



^ A. B. Griffiths, "Die Pigmente des Geraniums und anderer 

 Pflanzen," in the Berichte der Deutschen Ohemischen Oesellschaft, 

 vol. 36, p. 3959 ; and in the Ghemical News, vol. 88, p. 249. 



