SOME STUDIES ON THE GERMINATITION OF THE SEED OF ORYZA SATIVA. 117 
which contain different pigments is compared. Some of those materials were 
kindly sent by Prof..S. HAskert, Massachusetts Agricultural College, Amherst, 
Mass. ‘The genetic constitution of none of the materials used is known, but 
the result shows that the presence of red or yellow pigment in the pericarp 
has no retarding influence on the absorption of water. A variety of brownish 
yellow flint maize is found to absorb water much quicker than the rest, and 
a variety of dark blue flint, on the other hand, shows the slowest rate*, 
(cf. Text-Fig. 2). 
In the case with rice, an increase in weight after 48 hours’ steeping in 
| | | = NaCl and distilled water at 
40 | ——| 16°C—18.5°C by the red and non- 
pigmented grains is as follows: 
35 - 
“ Aka-Gome”  “ Chiba-Nishiki” 
30 (pericarp red) (without red pigment) 
: — | ; 
see NaCl 12,63% 15.25% 
OF 
2 | Dist. water 19.54% 26.07% 
N Nact 
20 This shows that the red pig- 
mented grain absorbs water more 
15 : 
3 slowly than the non-pigmented. 
10 The pigment is confined to the cell 
wall of the pericarp, and does not 
5- 2 2 
belong to anthocyanin. ‘Treating 
with acid or alkali, the color does 
not show any reaction. A prolong- 
Text-Fig. 2. Zea Mays. Absorption of water 
ed treatment with absolute alcohol, 
by the seed. Ordinates, increase in wt.%. Abs- 
cissa, no. of hours steeping. ether, chloroform or hydrogen 
92 By 20 SE VRR White dent. peroxide has no effect on color. 
ben — Yellow flint. Throughout the experiments the red 
a, NON len 
| fees Li 1 Reet Reeth Blue flint. variety (“ Aka-gome”’) germinated 
* The grain of this variety is roundish, and the dark blue color is due to the presence of a 
kind of anthocyanin pigment in the aleurone cells, so that the seed becomes brilliantly red by 
acids and turns into blue to blue green by alkalies. This reaction can be utilized for the test 
of penetration of reagents through the seed covering, for if the acid diffuses into the aleurone 
layer, the color changes instantly to red. The grains are steeped in a 6 NH, SO, solution for 
48 hours, but many of the grains show no change in color. 
