Morphology, 1 1 



so thorougHy differentiated from the parent stock, as 

 to constitute a distinct group, phanerogamic fungi. 



In like manner, it is not necessary to assume only 

 one point of departure for the fungi from the algee, 

 but the close agreement between the Saprolegniese 

 and certain alo^^e indicates the oris^in of the fun si, and 

 shows also that between the two examples given the 

 point of divergence is not wide. It is observable in 

 almost every instance of a marked departure from a 

 typical group, that the earliest departures remain 

 stereotyped at a certain stage of development as a 

 group, characterized by features partly their own and 

 partly those of their ancestors ; connecting-links in fact. 

 Certain elastic members of this first group in turn 

 develop new features, and where the new departure is 

 able to hold its ground in the struggle for existence, 

 this process of evolving new morphological and 

 physiological factors, a process generally contem- 

 poraneous with the obliteration of the original charac- 

 teristics of the stock from which the new type 

 originated, is repeated, until eventually a group of 

 organisms is produced possessing strongly marked 

 features in common, and only in touch with the group 

 from which it evolved in the possession of those 

 characters common to all plants. 



In illustration of the above, it may be mentioned 

 that in those sections of fungi, of which the mushroom 

 and puff ball are characteristic, there is not the re- 

 motest indication, morphologically or physiologically, 

 not even in the earliest phase of development, of any 

 affinity with the algae, and it is only by means of 

 tracing the origin of these terminal groups of fungi 



