igo 
DAIKUBARA; 
stances proved to be fat. (I) 2 In one case, however, viz., in the 
epidermis of the midribs of the leaves of Osmunthus Aquifolium , 
they resembled impure proteosomes, and were changed and even 
partly dissolved by alcohol of 20 per cent. 
The frequent occurrence of active albumen in different parts 
of th q flower may have an important physiological relation to the 
formation of seeds. However, the seeds and fruits investigated 
showed active albumen only in the epidermis in most cases. 
A phenomenon which resembles, to a certain extent, the 
formation of proteosomes is plasmolysis. Th. Bokorny has al¬ 
ready observed ( Pringsheims Jahrb. Vol. 20) that by the action of 
caffeine both, normal and anomalous plasmolysis, can take place, 
whereby the tonoplast can become divided into two or more 
parts keeping their globular shape for some time. According to 
his theory, these phenomena have to be explained in the same 
way as the formation of proteosomes, viz., as being caused by the 
separation of a certain amount of water of imbibition. It was 
therefore a matter of particular interest to me to observe such 
phenomena myself in a number of cases : as, for instance, in the 
petals of Ipomcea liedraceaf z) the leaves of Camellia theifcra, and 
the leaf-veins of Pyrus Toringo. 
The two kinds of globular formation may, however, be easily 
(1) I would here supplement what I have said ( loc . cit.) upon the use of alcohol 
and ether to distinguish proteosomes from fat globules. In order to preserve the 
globular shape of the former, treatment with i p.m. NH :i or with alcohol of 20 °/o is 
necessary, before the mixture of alcohol and ether is applied. In certain cases the 
ammonia has to be diluted to ^ p.m. because of the gradual solvent action of more 
concentrated solution. 
The caffeine proteosomes are, in exceptional cases, not solidified into bright 
globules, by the action of dilute ammonia, but are partially or, in some cases, (Acer 
pnlmatum) wholly dissolved. This is evidently due to the presence cf a large 
amount of impurities (tannin especially) in them. The petals of Pceonia yield 
caffeine proteosomes, which are turned by ammonia into hollow globules without any 
brightness. There exist evidently many differences between the active albumen of 
some species, and that of others, c.g., many isomers and polymers are possible. 
(2) Accompanied by comparatively few proteosmes, and only observed in the 
lower colourless part, not in the upper coloured part of the petals, after treatment 
with caffeine. 
Anomalous plasmolysis by 0.5 °/o caffeine solution can also be sometimes ob¬ 
served in Spirogyra, after it has been cultivated, for some time, in a 1-5 per mille 
nutrient fluid. 
