ON AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF LEAVES. 



251 



II. Experiments with Phaseobis vulgaris. 



Leaves were gathered on the 29th Oct. at i''- P.M. 



100 grams of fresh leaves became by direct drying 



16.689 gi'am. 



100 grams of fresh leaves after keeping moist for 48 hours. 



15.240 gram. 



T?nt-io nf Hrv matter 





TOD " OT 1 







In 100 parts of dry matter. 











Directly dried . 





Kept moist. 











4.00 











2.53 





Asparagine nitrogen . . 



0.20 





0.52 





A • 1 -i / without \ 

 Amido-nitrogen (^^^p „;trj 



0.89 





0.95 











0 











8.5 





In 100 parts of total nitrogen. 











Directly dried. 



Kept moist. 





Ratio 







100 



100 



: 100 





70.5 



63.3 



100 



: 89.8 





5-5 



13.0 



100 



: 236.3 



A • 1 / without \ 



Amido-nitrogen (^^^^ ^jj^. j 



.... 24.0 



23-7 



100 



: 99.0 



These results show 



that by keeping the leaves moi 



st and 



alive, the dry matter decreases considerably, and also the 

 splitting of proteids takes place, forming thereby amido-com- 

 pounds and asparagine. 



Having thus arrived at a simple explanation of the appa- 

 rently contradictory cases mentioned, the conclusion seems 

 justified that reserve proteids in the leaves are decomposed into 

 amido-compounds during tlie night, and the latter are transported 

 from the leaves to the other parts of the plants. The migration 

 of amido-compounds' appears to proceed rapidly, as I have 

 found no large quantity in the leaves gathered in the morning. 

 Thus an important function of the leaves is positively established. 

 This function consists in facilitating the formation of proteids in all 



