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velops the spores; therefore those lichens whose fruiting is the 
same as the Ascomycetes are placed as a subdivision of this class, 
and the remaining forms, which follow the Basidiomycetes in their 
method of spore-formation, are classed with this group of fungi. 
Within the past few years there has been a strong reaction 
against this method of classification on the ground that, by virtue 
of this long-continued parasitism, the lichens have attained fixed 
characters of their own, differing from those of both fungi and 
algae. Prof. Reinke, of Kiel, is one of the leading advocates of 
this old method of classification, namely, making the lichens an in- 
dependent group codrdinate with the fungi and algae. He has 
written an extensive paper on the subject, which is published in 
Pringsheim’s Jahrbiicher, volumes 26, 28 and 29. A careless or 
even hasty perusal of this article is apt to lead one to the con- 
clusion that the author’s views are radically opposed to those of 
Schwendener, who is generally known as the author of the theory 
of the dual nature of the lichens. It is probably owing to this 
fact that a rumor has obtained circulation among some of our 
botanists to the effect that the modern scientists are discarding 
the Schwendener theory of the nature of the lichens. 
During the present summer I had an excellent opportunity to 
read and discuss this paper with Prof. Schwendener and in this 
way to obtain his present views on the subject. For these reasons 
I think a brief summary of his remarks may be of interest to 
the members of the Club and others who are not so familiar with 
the literature of this subject. It may be well to state at first that 
there is no difference of opinion between the two botanists con- 
cerning the real nature of the lichen. Reinke speaks in several 
places of his complete adherence to the principal theories set forth 
by Schwendener in his work published in 1869, “ Die Algentypen 
der Flechten-gonidien,” but he does not approve of the methods 
of classification which owe their origin to the acceptance of thes¢ 
theories. Reinke also strongly opposes the views held by 
Schwendener regarding the morphology of the podetium of the 
genus Cladonia. Schwendener claims that his experiments, together 
with those of Krabbe and others working in his laboratory 
furnish conclusive evidence that the podetium is a part of the 
fruit-body. Morphologically it is to be considered the stem of the — 
