SODIUM, MAGNESIUM, POTASSIUM AND CALCIUM IN PLANT LATTICES

The quantities of sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium of the latices of 16 plant species belonging to the families of Euphorbiaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Cichoriaceae, Moraceae, Papaveraceae, and Russulaceae are ascertained by means of atomic-absorptionspectroscopy. The latices of the leafy Euphorbian species (E. lathyris, E. myrsinites, E. schimperi) have more calcium than magnesium in contrast to the species of Euphorbiae with succulent stems (E. acruensis, E. enopla, E. fimbriata, E. ingens, E. ornithopus) which contain more magnesium than calcium, apart from E. stenoclada and E. virosa. The other plants (Asclepias syriaca, Taraxacum officinale, Chelidonium majus, Papaver somniferum, Lactarius vellereus) with the exception of Ficus elastica (magnesium) show a predominance of potassium. Generally one can say that the latex of the Euphorbiae primarily contains magnesium or calcium, whereas the other genera have potassium as the main component in their latices.