102 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



latter fungus, and related fungi. The finding of chains, or 

 round conidia borne in chains, on short hyphae (pi. 11, f. 

 7), and the identification of the fungus as Hormiscium, 

 by Mrs. Flora Patterson, has led to the placing of the spe- 

 cies under the genus Hormiscium. This form differs from 

 other species of Hormiscium in its gelatinous nature and 

 dimorphous conidia, and is now called Hormiscium gelati- 

 nosum, with the following cultural characters: — 



The fungus grows readily on many kinds of media, es- 

 pecially upon agar media from vegetable decoctions, upon 

 various substances containing starch, and upon the sap- 

 wood of pine, oak, gum, and other trees. It makes only a 

 scanty growth on the heartwood. On potato and rice 

 tubes it covers the surface with a black, shiny growth of 

 slimy, matted filaments. 



Mycelium. 



When conidia of either form are sown on agar plates 

 the colonies which result resemble very much those of some 

 yeasts and bacteria. The growth of the colony is slower 

 than that of most fungi. The form of the colony is vari- 

 able. Where the conditions are not favorable the colony 

 is rounded, cream-colored, mucous, growing with a rough- 

 ened surface and a wavy edge. In more favorable condi- 

 tions, on better media, etc., the edge of the colony becomes 

 fimbriate or toruloid (pi. 11, f. 4). The shape of the 

 colony thus apparently depends directly upon the condi- 

 tions under which it grows. The filaments of the mycelium 

 are fewer in relative proportion to the bulk of the colony in 

 the younger forms than in the older forms. In older col- 

 onies, near the edge, filaments predominate. They are 

 toruloid in form, the cells are very irregular in shape, vary- 

 ing from long, cylindrical, almost hyaline cells (pi. 11, f. 

 7), to beaded forms (pi. 11, f. 8) of a dark olive color. 

 The former vary in diameter from 2/* to 8,« ; the latter, 



