512 SUMMARY OF CURUENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Phosphorescence of Pleurotus japonicus.* — S. Kawamura states 

 that this fungus is a poisonous species, found on dead beech-trunks 

 throughout Japan. Neither the mycelium nor the stalks give out the 

 light, which is strictly confined to the gills of the pileus. When re- 

 duced to 0° temperature the light ceased ; it was strongest from 12° 

 to 15° C. Experiments were made with poisons, etc., and results are 

 given. 



Boletus impolitus.f — Rene Maire gives a history of this species, 

 which was found by Fries in Sweden and described by him. It is very 

 rare, but has been found several times throughout western Europe. 

 Maire has decided that the Mediterranean species, Boletus corsicus, 

 B. sardons, and B. tlemcensis, belong to B. impolitus as varieties differing 

 in the form of the stalk. It is a good esculent species ; var. corsicus 

 is sold in large quantities in the towns of Corsica under the name 

 mucchiaiolo. The var. tlemcensis should be very abundant in the 

 cork woods of Algeria, and might be easily marketable. 



Hypochnus Form of Fistulina Hepatica.J — Marin Molliard suc- 

 ceeded in growing the fungus on gelatin of carrot. A small portion 

 of the tissue was transplanted to the culture, and formed at first a 

 floccose mass of mycelium ; later, small bodies were formed with tubes 

 and basidiospores quite normally developed. In addition, Molliard noted 

 that on the hyphae spreading over the culture there were here and there 

 basidia formed at the ends of the hyphae, exactly like a form of 

 Hypochnus. 



Study of Ithyphallus impudicus and Mutinus caninus.§ — Ch. 

 van Bambeke has examined very early stages of these fungi, especially 

 the basal cup or volva. He cut microtome sections of the eggs when they 

 were about 1 mm. in diameter. He finds two distinct periods of growth 

 — one of continued expansion till the stalk is formed, and a further 

 rest-period while the fruit-body is ripening. He describes the ap- 

 pearance of the hyphae and their function in regard to the rest of the 

 plant. 



Assimilation of Nitrogen by Fungi.|| — L. H. Pennington has 

 carried out a series of culture experiments with Fusarium, Penicillin)/!, 

 and Aspergillus in carefully controlled solutions. The results did not 

 support the generally accepted notion that fungi assimilate atmospheric 

 nitrogen. Further experiments are to be carried out in order to gain 

 more accurate data. 



German Fungus-flora.^ — W. Migula has issued two more fascicles 

 of his Flora. They deal with the genera Phlebia, Radulum, Hijdnum, 



* Bot. Mag. Tokyo, xxiv. (1910) pp. 281-4. (Japanese.) See also Bot. Centralbl., 

 cxiv. (1911) p. 440. 



t Bull. Soc. Bot. France, ix. (1909) pp. lix-lxiii. 



J Bull. Soc. Bot. France, ix. (1909) pp. 553-6 (1 pi.). 



§ Mem. Acad. Roy. Belg. Sci., ser. 2, ii. (1910) 26 pp. (4 pis. and 3 figs.). See 

 also Ann. Mycol., ix. (1911) p. 19. 



|| Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, xxxviii. (1911) pp. 135-9. 



«[ Flora von Deutscbland, v. lief. 107-8 (1911) pp. 145-76 (10 pis.). 



