I' ETCH : THE FUNGI 



towards tit- extremity and being therefore somewhat funnel- 

 shaped. They terminate in a four-lobed head on which are 

 borne closely parked, flask-shaped basidia bearing eatenulate 

 spores, 4-."> n diameter (fig. 26). The entire conidiophore with 

 its basidia and spores forms a somewhat flattened spherical 

 head. In some instances the hypha divides into two short 

 branches each of which bears four lobes : in other cases, a 

 second whorl of lobes is produced below the apex of the hypha 

 (fig. 27). In general there are no septa cutting off the separate 

 lobes, but the whole head is isolated by a cross wall just below 

 it At the apex of the stroma are found undifferentiated 

 hyphae in the centre, and all stages of the developing conidio- 

 phore immediately beneath them. 



The contrast between the areas in which the spores have or 

 have not been shed makes the stroma at first sight resemble a 

 small developing agaric. Fig. 24 shows one of these pot-grown 

 Btromata : the apparent cap is formed by the conidiophores 

 which still bear conidia, and the small clear area at the apex 

 represents the non-conidiferous central hypha?. No further 

 development has been obtained : the whole structure turns 

 black and finally decays. Whether the comb is planted at a 

 depth of 1 or 6 inches makes no difference in the height 

 above ground of the stromata. The underground portion is 

 an exl remely line black thread, and is not easily traced to the 

 comb. The whole of the stroma above ground bears conidia 

 eventually: there Lsno barren stalk except the pari under 

 ground 



If the comb is wetted before being placed under a bell jar. 



growth is more rapid, but the resulting Btromata arc Loosely 



built. In many Oases the hyphffl arise in an erect brush and 

 d<> not coalesce, and sometimes the\ merely spread over the 



surface of the comb. In tins condition they are quiokly over- 

 run by species of Mvcor and Thamnidivm. 



\ conidiophore from a loosely built stroma is shown in ti *_; 

 It branches repeatedly in planes a( right angles to i 

 utliei each branch ultimately terminating in a fom-lobed 



