Observations on albuminous cells in Pinus

Albuminous cells were examined in seasonal collections of secondary phloem of Pinus banksiana, P. resinosa and P. strobus. It was determined that the only reliable criterion for the identification of albuminous cells is their conspicuous connections with sieve cells. Discrete bodies, which give positive protein reactions, were encountered in young albuminous cells. These bodies, which have been interpreted as slime bodies, eventually elongate in the cytoplasm and disappear. During periods of high starch content in other parenchymatous elements, albuminous cells may also contain starch.