258 DIVISION 77. COURSE OF DEVELOPMENT OF FUNGf. 



and had termed their receptacles or the organs that carried them spermogonia ; but 

 it was shown by further observation that these cells were germinating spores or 

 gonidia, and that their receptacles should be termed gonidiophores or pycnidia. Of 

 a similar kind were the gonidia of Claviceps and other forms mentioned in Tulasne's 

 Carpologia, which germinate very readily. As these observations multiplied, the 

 question naturally arose whether there really are spermatia which are absolutely with- 

 out the power of germination, or whether the absence of germination in the alleged 

 cases did not arise from defects in the mode of conducting the experiments, since 

 some spores only germinate under fixed conditions, and the conditions may not 

 always have been properly secured in the artificial cultivation of the plants. A work 

 of Cornu 1 endeavours to give an answer to this question, and a further answer is to 

 be found in Stahl's treatise on Collema which appeared almost at the same time. The 

 two are very different. 



Stahl's work shows that there are spermatia which are not spores but fertilising 

 organs, and describes the mode of fertilisation and the organ to be fertilised (see 

 above on page 211). It does this, it is true, in a limited number of cases only; but 

 what is known of the rest of the Lichen-fungi, and is not disputed by Cornu, proves 

 further that by far the larger part of them possess spermatia which show no more signs 

 of germination than those of the Collemeae, and that these spermatia are homologous 

 with those of Collema. This is sufficient to distinguish the spermatia and spermogonia 

 from spores and their receptacles in this long series of cases, even though nothing 

 certain is yet known as to the function of most of these spermatia. That exactly 

 the same condition of things is to be found also outside the group of Fungi which form 

 Lichens, is evident from the case of Polystigma described above on page 2 1 5. 



Cornu, on the other hand, simply does not allow that the spermatia are special 

 organs, but would have them regarded as spores with the power of germination, 

 while retaining the name which they have hitherto borne. His arguments for this 

 view are not convincing. He saw first of all the 'spermatia' of certain species, which 

 hitherto perhaps had been considered to be incapable of germination or had not been 

 examined (for example those of Massaria Platani), produce germ-tubes when 

 sown in nutrient solutions ; a few more therefore to be added to the previously 

 known cases of pseudo-spermatia. He also saw other known spermatia, those, 

 for instance, of Stictosphaeria Hoffmanni, Tul. and Valsa ambiens, Tul., undergo 

 changes of form, also in nutrient solutions, and swell up, but without showing further 

 signs of germination. He gives no other new facts ; the cultivation of the spermatia 

 of Lichens gave him only negative results, and he can scarcely be said to have 

 advanced the subject even in a single minor point. His treatise was published 

 before the results of Stahl's profound investigations were given to the world. 



From the facts which have been established we now know of spermatia or 

 spermogonia in certain species or genera as organs with a definite function different 

 from that of spores. We can also form a plausible view as to the homology of these 

 bodies with the antheridial branches or functioning antheridia in other species which 

 have no spermatia, as was attempted to be done above on page 231. Lastly, we are 

 acquainted with a large number of species in which the homology of the spermatia 



1 Reproduction d. Ascomycetes (Ann. d. sc. nat. ser. 6, III) 



