THE DESTRUCTION OF WOOD BY FUNGI 365 



he published the results of his work in 1S33 in a paper 

 entitled " Abhandlung uber die Verwandlung der polycotyle- 

 donischen Pflanzenzelle in Pilz- und Schwamm-Gebilde und 

 der daraus hervorgehenden sogenannten Faulniss des Holzes." 

 Hartig's views of the Red Rot of trees were as follows : As 

 a tree passes a certain age the functions of its parts begin 

 to be lost, bringing about the decay of the wood. This, 

 however, may happen earlier, in consequence of unfavour- 

 able external conditions. The first step in decay is the 

 breaking up of the contents or membranes of the wood-cells 

 into tiny balls or monads. These monads gradually form rows 

 and fuse, thus becoming converted into fungus hyphae. These 

 hyphae can then grow and infect wood which is sound and 

 cause it to rot. Hartig called the fungus by the somewhat 

 fanciful name of Nyctomyccs (Nachtfaser), as an indication that 

 the hyphae originated in deepest darkness. Although Hartig 

 shared the views of his time, and explained the presence of the 

 fungus mycelium by spontaneous generation, he discovered facts 

 which made him hesitate in this conclusion. Having observed 

 the fruit-body of a Polyporus upon the outside of a rotten tree 

 in which he could make out the Nyctomyccs hyphae, he asked 

 himself the question whether the fruit-bod}^ had not been 

 produced by the Nyctomyccs. He failed to find the connecting 

 hyphae, the presence of which, he said, would entirely alter his 

 views upon the origin of the Nyctomyccs. Hartig's work, how- 

 ever, was of considerable value, for it added to our knowledge 

 the fact that the decay of wood is usually connected with the 

 presence of fungus hyphae. 



The origin of the hyphae in decaying wood from spores 

 produced by fruit-bodies became clear from the researches of 

 de Bary, Tulasne, and others, upon plant-diseases. 



Schlacht l investigated the changes brought about by fungi 

 in dead plant-cells. He observed the disappearance of starch, 

 protoplasm, and cell-walls, and paid particular attention to the 

 passage of hyphae through cell-walls and to their corrosion. 

 Owing to the absence of fruit-bodies Schlacht failed to identify 

 the fungi which he saw. 



In 1866, Willkomm, in his Microscopischc Feinde des Waldes, 

 gave an account of some investigations upon Red Rot and 

 White Rot. He observed different kinds of hyphae in rotting 



1 Hermann Schlacht, Jahrbiicher f. wiss. Bot. 1863, Bd. 3, p. 442. 



