616 SUMMAllY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Crucibidun are both represented ; to the latter belong the genera 

 Podaxon, Tylostoma, Ghlamydopus, Phellorina, Batiarrea, Polysaccum, 

 Scleroderma, Geaster, Mycenastrum, Catastoma, Bovistella, Lycoperda, 

 Calvatia and Mitremyces — a very large representation of this family, since 

 many of the genera are confined to the warmer regions of the globe. 

 Descriptions both historical and biological are given. 



Sexuality of the Basidiomycetes.* — Matilde Bensaude has studied 

 the origin of binucleate cells in this group of fungi by means of cultures. 

 She finds that on sowing spores of Coprinus there results a primitive 

 mycelium uninucleate and without clamp connexions ; anastomosis 

 frequently occurs, but if the origin of the mycelium is from one spore 

 only the character of the hyphifi never changes. If the culture is from 

 mixed spores of Coprinus, anastomosis and fusions again take place, but 

 clamp connexions are also formed and the binucleate condition appears. 

 This arises on conjugation of the mycelium of different origin which, 

 following Blakeslee, she designates as + or - ; the formation of clamp 

 connexions follows, and is a sure indication that conjugation has taken 

 place, the prelude of further fructification. 



Bulbiferous Fungi. t — J. W. Hotson has made a study of all the 

 known forms of bulbils as a form of reproduction in fungi. They are 

 associated with very varied fungi, both Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes, 

 but as they bear a general resemblance to each otlier in structure and in 

 germination, they have been classified under the form genus Papidospora. 

 The bulbil is derived from a group of initial cells to which new ones are 

 added by a process of germination. Mature bulbils may resemble 

 sclerotia, but these latter are formed by the massing together of vegeta- 

 tive hyphse. In all cases bulbils are imperfect conditions of higher 

 fungi, though it seems to be impossible by cultures to enable them to 

 revert to the higher form. A synoptic key of the various species is given. 



Poisonous Fungi of Algiers. | — Rene Maire has made a special 

 study of these poisonous fungi in Algiers ; they are identical with those 

 found in Europe and cause the same accidents. They belong to five 

 genera — Amanita, Volvaria, EnLoloma, Lepiota and Clitocybe — and the 

 species are exhaustively described. Cases of poisoning are described and 

 remedies are recommended. 



North African Fungi.§— Rene Maire is studying the fungi of North 

 Africa generally. A list of those found in Tunisia comprises microfungi 

 with few exceptions. Most of them are European ; a few are new species. 



Another list || deals with the fungi in or near Algiers, also most of 

 them more or less familiar species. A new variety of Boletus crythropus 

 is described and figured, and several new species of microfungi. In a 



* Comptes RenduR, clxv. (1917) pp. 286-9. 



t Bot. Gaz., Ixiv. (1917) pp. 264-84 (3 pis. and 6 figs.). 



I BuU. Soc. Hist. Nat. Afrique du Nord, vii. (1916) pp. 131-206. 

 § Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat., vi. (1914) pp. 254-60 (3 figs.). 



II Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat., vii. (1916) pp. 294-303 (1 pL). 



