126 



PYRENOMYCETES. 



folded mycelium (Fig. 114 m, Fig. 115), formed of numerous 

 hyphte woven together and penetrating the wall of the ovary. 

 From these a number of liyphse (Fig. 114 a) project into the air 

 and abstrict from their apices the conidia (6) which serve as repro- 

 ductive organs. The mycelium also secretes a sticky, stinking 

 fluid (honey-dew) in which the conidia are embedded in great 

 numbers. The honey-dew exudes from the bases of the glumes, 

 and is greedily sought by flies, which thus carry the conidia to 

 other ovaries. In this manner fresh ears are infected, which might 



FIG. ll&.Claviceps purpurea. A Sclerotium with stromata (cl) (xby 2). V Stroma 

 divided longitudinally to show the perithecia (cp). C A perithecium with the surrounding 

 hyphee (hy). D An nseus ruptured, with the eight filamentous ascospores emerging. 



escape were the conidia only distributed by the wind. This stage 

 formerly was regarded as an independent Fungus, known as Spha- 

 celia segetum (Fig. 115). On germination, the conidia produce 

 either a new mycelium (Fig. 114 d, c), or new conidia. The SECOND 

 or SCLEROTIUM STAGE is the one in which the Fungus passes the 

 winter. The mycelium penetrates deeper and deeper into the 

 attacked ovaries, their tissues are destroyed and replaced by the 

 hypha?, which gradually become more and more felted together. 



