A Physiological Study of the Germination of 
Helianthus annuus. II. The Oily Reserve. 
BY 
EDWIN C. MILLER. 
I N a previous paper 1 I reported a study of the general chemical changes 
which occur in the reserves of the seed of the sunflower during different 
stages of its germination, and concluded that the carbohydrates which appear 
in the seedling during germination have their origin in the oily reserve. 
Only a slight study of the oil itself was made at that time, however, so that 
it was thought advisable to make a further study of it at different stages in 
the development of the seedling in order to determine what changes it might 
undergo during germination. 
In the previous paper a review was given of the work carried on by 
different investigators on the changes which take place in oily seeds during 
their germination as far as references to these works could be found. One 
paper, however, which escaped my observation, might well be reviewed 
here. Deleano , 2 in a study of the seed and seedling of Ricinus communis , 
could not detect the smallest trace of free fatty acid or glycerine at any stage 
of the seedling. He observed that the quantity of reducing sugar at the 
time when the disappearance of the oil was most rapid, was small compared 
to the amount of oil which disappeared, but that the amount of substances 
soluble in water at that time was large. He found also that the quantity 
of catalase diminished as the oil disappeared. From these observations he 
reached the conclusion that the oil contained in the seed as a reserve is not 
saponified in the cells at all, but that it is transformed into soluble com- 
pounds which are easily translocated to the growing parts. These 
compounds, then, give rise to the carbohydrates which are found in the 
seedling. He also believes that the catalase plays some part in the trans- 
formation of the oil. In the present paper reference will be made only to 
1 Miller, Edwin C. : A Physiological Study of the Germination of Helianthus annuus. Ann, of 
Bot., vol. xxiv, 1910, pp. 693-726. 
2 Deleano, N. T. : Recherche chimique sur la germination. Arch. Sci. Biol. (St. Petersb.), xv, 
1910, No. 1, pp. 1-24. Centralbl. f. Bakt., 2. Abt., vol. xxiv, 1909, Nos. 5-7, pp. 136-146. 
[Annals of Botany, Vol. XXVI. No. CIII. July, 1912.] 
