ORIGIN OF THE BASIDIOMYCETES. 445 
Möller, who has made a more extensive and thorough study of 
the Protobasidiomycetes than any other author, considers that 
the Protobasidiomycetes and Autobasidiomycetes are two inde- 
pendent groups having a different origin respectively, and sums 
up his conviction in the following words: 
" Unter den bekannten Thatsachen spricht keine dafür, das eine 
Protobasidie sich durch Verlust der Theilwünde nachträglich zur 
Autobasidie umgestalten könne” (11). 
On this point I am quite in agreement with Möller, and see in 
the instances given below what appears to be a more feasible 
explanation of the gradual evolution of the Autobasidiomycetes 
than the required arrest of the transverse septa of the basidia of 
the Protobasidiomycetes, and the gradual eoncentration of the 
spores at the apex of the basidium. 
Boulanger has described (12) a new genus of fungi—JMatrou- 
chotia—which under the old dispensation would be placed in 
the Hyphomycetes, along with Stilbum, Isaria, Ze, The fungus 
Matrouchotia varians, Boulanger, is a much-branched Stilbum- 
like plant, showing every transition from inflated cylindrical 
conidiophores bearing from three to five spores scattered at 
intervals over the surface of the conidiophore—exactly as in 
Tulostoma—to the other extreme of presenting a clavate basidium 
bearing four spores at its apex—exactly as in true Autobasidio- 
mycetes. 
A second species belonging to the same genus, Matrouchotia 
complens, Moller, a native of Brazil, has since been deseribed by 
Moller (13). This species corroborates Boulanger's account in 
every particular. ‘The conidiophores are cylindric-clavate, and 
bear from three to five spores placed at different levels—again 
as in Tulostoma; while others of the spore-bearing structures are 
clavate, and bear four spores at the apex. Now in these two 
instances we have a transition from a conidiophore or Tulostoma- 
like basidium to the form of basidium characteristie of the 
Autobasidiomycetes, without necessitating the disappearance of 
transverse septa. 
In the genus Botrytis, containing about 120 species—again 
belonging to the Hyphomycetes—four divisions or subgenera 
are recognized, depending on the gradual change of the conidio- 
phores to what may be called the basidium type. The most 
primitive section is represented by Eubotrytis, where the spores 
are borne singly at the tips of slender pointed branchlets. 
