On the Characters of Paddy and Soybeans in Drug Wastes Preserved in the Shosoin Treasury

[摘要] The paddy and soybeans in the drug wastes preserved in the Shosoin Treasury were investigated morphologically and microchemically. (1) As to size and shape, half of the grains of the paddy appears to belong to Japonica, one third of them to the medium and one sixth of them to Indica type. All these grains of the paddy are about 16% lighter than the paddy of the present. The incessant action of natural oxidation covering 12 centuries has brought about partial carbonization of the endosperm. The transverse section of the endosperm tip shows a white and black mosaic. The endosperm fragments respond to the iodine solution as the nonglutinous. (2) The soybeans of the treasury exhibit the medium size and shape between those of the wild form and the summer varieties. The Shosoin soybeans weigh about 21% lighter than the contrasting soybeans of nearly the same size, and retain the minimum water contents of soybean, viz. 8.9%, while those of the summer varieties hold about 12% in general. Besides it is noteworthy that the cotyledon parenchymatous cells of the Shosoin soybeans are about 37% narrower than those of the contrasts. Despite under such circumstances, no significant sign of chemical deteriolation in soybean protein and fat in the plasm, exclusive of pectin in the middle lamella of the cell wall, is observed under, a microscope.

[学科分类] 农业科学（综合）