445 
finally hit upon the word « consortism” as being especially appro- 
priate. Reinke gives conclusive evidence that he has not been 
duly credited with first having pointed out the true conditions met 
with in the. lichen thallus, This credit is given to de Bary, who is 
generally supposed to have been the first to point out and explain 
the phenomenon of « symbiosis” * as it occurs in lichens, The 
author had, however, previously explained this condition in three 
- different publications.+ From these it is evident that De Bary was 
not the discoverer of the phenomenon now known as mutualistic 
Symbiosis, and that the term consortism antedates that of sym- 
biosis. Reinke explains his views with regard to the lichen-thallus 
More fully as. follows: «We have,,therefore, in the thallus of 
lichens, a consortism, the components of which form a unit, a mor- 
Phological individual, somewhat as the different tissues in a higher 
Plant unite to form the individual. The fact that the alga can ex- 
ist independently is dependent upon its ability to assimulate car- 
bon. In the state of consortism, at least in the heteromerous 
thallus, the alga is nourished by the enclosing fungus ; that is it 
receives from the hyphae the necessary minerals, nitrogen, oxygen, 
hydrogen and water. The alga in return supplies the fungus with 
the essential carbon compounds. From this it is evident that the 
components (alga and fungus) are biologically associated, mutu- 
ally dependent upon each other, for the formation of the organic 
Substances required for the upbuilding of the common body.” 
The above is certainly conclusive evidence that Reinke had a cor- 
ect view of the mutualistic relationship of alga and fungus in the 
lichen-thallus and furthermore that he was convinced that the 
lichen formed an autonomous structure. 
The author expresses it as his opinion that the fungi of the 
higher Ascolichenes no longer exist independently, perhaps never 
‘9 existed. The alga is, however, still able to lead an independent 
existence. It is also evident that there are free algae closely re- 
lated, if not identical with the gonidia of lichens. This fact is of 
Steat importance in the consideration of the phylogenetic devel- 
* De Bary, Die Erscheinung der Symbiose. Strassburg, 1879. 
t Reinke, J. Géttinger Nachrichten. p. 100. 1872. 
Reinke, J. Morphologische Abhandlungen. Leipzig, 1873. ; 
oo and Grisebach, A. S. Oersted’s System der Pilze, Lichenen und Algen. 
