CHAPTER III 



PILOBOLUS UMBONATUS, A NEW SPECIES, WITH 

 REMARKS ON THE PILOBOLIDAE 



Introduction — General Description — Taxonomic Description and Latin Diagnosis — 



Remarks on the Pilobolidae. 



Introduction. — In the winter of 1931-1932, two species of Pilo- 



bolus, P. longipes and P. Kleinii, were being cultivated and studied 



in the botanical laboratory of the University of Manitoba. These 



fungi commonly appeared on fresh horse 



dung, cow dung, etc., brought into the 



laboratory. Hans Ritter, a boy eleven years 



old, became interested in these cultures and 



made many similar ones for himself. His 



microscope was provided with a low-power 



objective only. With the help of this 



instrument he became well acquainted with 



P. longipes and P. Klemii. One day he 



observed on a horse-dung culture a Pilo- 



bolus which he had not previously seen 



(Fig. 105, A, B, C, and D, p. 210), and 



he at once brought it to my laboratory, 



where an examination showed that it was 



a new species not yet described by any 



mycologist. 



The new species is distinguished from all 

 other species of the genus by its decidedly 

 umbonate sporangium (Fig. 81) and it is on this account that 

 I have named it u^nbonatus. 



Shortly after becoming acquainted with Pilobolus umhonatus, 



109 



Fig. 81. — Pilobolus urn- 

 bona t us. Wild, 

 small fruit-l)ody, in 

 air. Magnification, 

 Gl. 



