6 FUXGUS-FLORA. 



almost as long as the ascus. Most of the terms used in 

 describing spores are self-explanatory ; they are said to be 

 eymb/form when the outline resembles the long section of a 

 boat; sigmoid when an elongated spore has the ends bent 

 very slightly in opposite directions, like the letter S very 

 much straightened out. 



Spores are always continuous or 1-celled at first, and many 

 remain persistently so ; others become divided into two or 

 more cells by the formation of septa at right-angles to the 

 long axis of the spore ; they are then described as septate, the 

 numeral prefix indicating the number of septa present. In 

 some works the number of cells is given instead of the 

 number of septa ; there is of course always one more cell 

 than septum present, hence a 1-septate spore would be a 

 2-celled spore ; spores are said to be muriform when septa are 

 formed at right angles to each other, thus forming a paren- 

 chymatous, many-celled spore. Some spores are furnished at 

 maturity with a delicaie, hyaline filament at one or both 

 ends, such appendages are considered to serve the purpose of 

 keeping the spores in their relative position in the ascus. 



The apex of the spore is the end nearest the apex of the 

 ascus, the base consequently pointing to the base of the 

 ascus ; this point can of course only be determined by seeing 

 the spores in the ascus, and is of importance, as when the 

 two ends of the spore are dissimilar in form, or when the 

 septa are arranged in a different manner at the two ends of 

 the spore. When spores are ejected from the ascus, it is 

 assumed that they are quite mature, hence for purposes of 

 measurement and description it is advisable to draw up a 

 diagnosis from free or discharged spores whenever prac- 

 ticable. The use of dilute potassic hydrate and solution of 

 iodine, will aid greatly in forming a correct idea as to the 

 detailed structure of spores. In many spores one or more 

 oleaginous globules or guttulae are present; their presence is 

 indicated by the term guttulate. These highly refractive 

 globules are frequently called nuclei in old works, a structure 

 with which they possess nothing in common. 



Paraphyses. In the majority of species the asci are 

 accompanied by accessory organs called paraphyses; these 

 structures, which are usually slender — always sterile — hairs, 



