Winton — Anatomy of the Fruit of Gocos nucifera. 279 



become a reddish brown on treatment with potassium hydrate 

 solution, and the predominance of peculiar elongated forms. 

 They differ in one or more of these characteristics from the 

 stone cells of pepper, allspice, clove stems, walnut shells, 

 almond shells, Brazil-nut shells, hazel-nut shells, peach stones 

 and olive stones. 



The outer testa or lining of the shell also forms a consider- 

 able part of the powder, the most striking elements being the 

 thick-walled, porous cells (p) and the vascular elements. 



Colorless cells of the mesocarp ground tissue (w) are not dis- 

 tinguishable from the parenchyma of many other plants, but 

 when impregnated with the brown substance which has been 

 described they are striking objects (b?'). Potassium hydrate 

 changes the color of these brown cells to a reddish brown, but 

 ferric chloride does not produce any immediate effect, thus 

 distinguishing them from the brown cells of allspice seed, the 

 color of which potassium hydrate removes and ferric chloride 

 changes at once to a green. 



Spiral, reticulated, and pitted tracheae (sp, t and g), from the 

 mesocarp, endocarp and testa bundles, are also frequently met 

 with in the powder, the pitted trachea being quite unlike any 

 vascular elements of the spices. 



The stegmata (ste) of the mesocarp fibers with their silicious 

 contents are characteristic, but they are difficult to find owing 

 to the great preponderance of other tissues. Bast-fibers (f) 

 are more liable to be encountered than the stegmata, but they 

 furnish less conclusive evidence. 



Spices adulterated with charred cocoanut shells show under 

 the microscope black, opaque fragments which are not bleached 

 by aqua regia or nitric acid and potassium chlorate. Except 

 in cases where some of the stone cells or other elements have 

 escaped charring, this material cannot be distinguished from 

 other forms of charcoal. 



Chemical analysis is a valuable adjunct to the microscopic 

 examination and often determines approximately the extent of 

 the adulteration, but since other nut shells have a similar com- 

 position, the microscope is essential for the identification of 

 the particular adulterant present. As was pointed out by the 

 writer* five years ago, the crude fiber obtained in the process 

 of analysis is particularly suited for the microscopic detection 

 of stone cells and other tissues. 



The radical difference in composition between cocoanut 

 shells and the spices to which they are added is shown by the 

 following results by Winton, Ogden and Mitchell. f 



*Conn. Agr. Expt. Sta., Rep. 1896, p. 34. 

 f Ibid., Rep. 1898,. pp. 198-211. 



