ASCOMYCETES 367 



twisted thicker form which bears the asci with the occurrence of the 

 two forms of hyphae in the ripening sporocarp of Elaphomyces. Some 

 authors, it may be remembered, place Penicillium and Elaphomyces side 

 by side. 



The germinating ascospore produces a mycele in all respects like 

 that which bore the sporocarp, a much-branching anastomosing septate 

 flocculent mycele, which bears acrospores serially in succession at the end 

 of their characteristic sporophores. The sporophore arises from the mycele 

 in the form of an upright septate stalk, which bears at its summit cymose 

 branches ending in sterigmata of equal height. On the sterigmata are 

 the chains of acrospores. Such a sporophore has a brush-like appear- 

 ance, the stalk being the handle, and the branches, sterigmata, &c., 

 the hairs. The sporophores arise in dense masses, and in all produce 

 enormous numbers of spores. So densely do they occur in exception- 

 ally favourable situations in the case of Penicillium glaucum (Lk.) 

 that they are sometimes bound together in bundles, fasciated as it 

 were, and bear at the summit a dense crown of chains of spores. 

 This form was originally described as a distinct genus by the name of 

 Coremium glaucum (Lk.). As in Erysiphe and Eurotiurn, so in Peni- 

 cillium, the course of development, after the production of acrospores, 

 may omit the formation of the sporocarp on the same thallus through 

 external conditions being unfavourable to its development. This, in 

 fact, is the usual case in Penicillium, and generation after generation 

 of thalli bearing acrospores only, and there stopping short, intervene as 

 a rule between sporocarp and sporocarp. Perhaps the commonest of all 

 moulds is Penicillium glaucum (Lk.), occurring on decaying fruits, or* 

 bread, &c., &c., in the acrospore-bearing condition. The sporocarp- 

 occurs, very rarely, in dark places where there is a poor supply of oxygen,, 

 and mostly on bread. 



4. GYMNOASCUS (Baranetsk.) and CTENOMYCES (Eidam) do not 

 differ in any very striking peculiarity from types already discussed. The 

 origin of the sporocarp is characterised by the fact that while one sexual 

 hypha entwines the other, it is the entwining one which is the carpogone 

 which subsequently produces the ascogenous hyphae and the other,, 

 round which the carpogone winds, is the antherid. The relative posi- 

 tions of these certainly recall the case of Eurotium, where the antherid 

 occasionally ascends by way of the inside of the screw ; but here, on 

 the other hand, the carpogone takes, as it were, the active step, and 

 winds round the antherid. These have their origin as lateral shoots 

 either of the same hypha or of different hyphae ; or it may be that only 

 the entwining one (carpogone) is a lateral shoot, and the other merely 

 the intercalary portion of a hypha. The ascogenous hyphae branch. 



