Am.  1  our.  Pharm.  \ 
November,  1901.  J 
Fruit  of  Cocos  Nucifera. 
551 
As  a  rule,  the  cells  are  empty,  but  some  here  and  there  contain 
a  brown  substance  apparently  the  same  as  is  contained  in  the  meso- 
carp  and  endocarp,  which  often  takes  the  form  of  spheres  {Fig.  10, 
k),  disks,  or  films  with  circular  openings  (v). 
Colorless  stone  cells  (Fig.  10,  st)  are  present  in  the  outer  layers  and 
contrast  strikingly  with  the  deep  yellow  stone  cells  of  the  endocarp. 
The  conspicuous  elements  of  the  veins  are  spiral  tracheae,  pitted 
tracheae  and  elongated  cells  intermediate  between  pitted  tracheae 
and  the  porous  cells  of  the  ground  tissue,  and  are  not  distinguish- 
able from  the  same  elements  of  the  endocarp  bundles.  (See  Fig.  p, 
spy  g  and  f.) 
In  breaking  away  the  meat,  the  separation  is  through  the  middle 
of  the  veins  and  the  inner  layers  of  the  outer  testa,  nearly  all  the 
ground  tissue  and  about  half  of  the  vascular  elements  remaining 
on  the  inner  surface  of  the  shell. 
{b)  Inner  testa.  Firmly  attached  to  the  endosperm  are  from  ten 
to  twenty  layers  of  small  isodiametric  or  slightly  elongated  cells. 
The  double  walls  are  about  -003  m.m.  thick  and  free  from  pores. 
These  cells  contain  a  material  varying  in  color  from  light  yellow  to 
dark  brown,  which  either  fills  them  completely  or  occurs  in 
globules,  films,  etc.,  as  in  some  of  the  cells  of  the  outer  testa.  In 
the  layer  adjoining  the  endosperm  the  cells  are  smaller  and  have 
darker  brown  contents  than  the  cells  in  the  other  layers. 
5.  Endosperm. 
Although  the  microscopic  character  of  the  endosperm  has  been 
fully  explained  by  Harz,  Hanausek  and  Moeller,  a  brief  description 
is  here  given  to  accompany  the  descriptions  of  the  other  parts  of 
the  fruit. 
In  the  outer  layers  the  prismatic  cells  are  nearly  isodiametric 
(about  -05  m.m.  in  diameter),  but  further  inward  they  are  radially 
elongated,  often  reaching  a  length  of  -3  m.m.  Cell  partitions  are 
about  -003  m.m.  thick,  without  pores. 
The  cells  contain  bundles  of  needle-shaped  fat  crystals  and 
lumps  of  proteid  matter,  each  lump  containing,  as  a  rule,  a  crys- 
talloid. Ether  and  alcohol  readily  dissolve  the  fat  crystals  and 
strong  potassium  hydrate  solution  saponifies  them.  The  proteid 
bodies  give  the  usual  color  reactions  with  iodine,  Millon's  reagent 
and  dyes. 
