A 1887] Comparative Chemistry of Higher and Lower Plants. Sag 
occur. The sugar of the palm is very little above the sugar line; 
it may be considered, in an evolutionary sense, as passing to the 
cane-sugar of these other groups, and as forming the apex of a 
_ lowtriangle, the base being the sugar line already described. The 
_ large percentage of grape-sugar in the fig, Ficus carica, occurs in 
a class very nearly on a line with these cane-sugar plants. 
= Glucosides are more especially the compounds of the middle 
plane of plant development, and are found in the higher mono- 
cotyledons of this stage, in the lower and some of the higher 
dicotyledons, and less frequently in the highest of all plants, or 
under cephalization. The first appearance of a glucoside occurs 
(Antiaris toxicaria); acorin, of the Arum; and coniferin, of the 
: Coniferæ, Among the Lirioideæ groups many glucosides occur, 
“specially saponin, and I have found this compound in species 
of the yucca, agave, and among dicotyledons in leguminous 
: plants; besides, it is found in Rosæ and other parallel groups. 
-Saponin is also found in Smilax, a genus partaking somewhat 
> the nature of endogens and exogens, and serves to unite all 
‘the saponin groups ;* and although this compound is widely 
distributed in plants, it is a significant fact that all the groups 
“ontaining it belong to this middle evolutionary division. l 
Aosoll? has found saponin in the cell-sap of living roots of 
“tPonaria and Gysophila, and I have elsewhere called attention 
” 42 solvent action of saponin on resins, also on calcium 
Salate. This property is of value to the plant not only by 
acting as a solvent of insoluble or slightly soluble compounds, - 
thos assisting it in obtaining food otherwise difficult of 
eae but also resins are found in nearly all the Lirioidee, and 
„ Presence of this chemical class associated with saponin shows — 
~~", and this element is frequently found in large quantities, — 
tc $ : 
aric Basis of Plant Forms.” 
TE s - Chem., v, 94; Jahresb. d. Chem., 1884. ! — 
our, Fe, Sustifolia, Trans. Amer. Phila, Soc.; Chemical Basis of Plant Forms, 
titute, | 
`i nklin Insti 
