2i6 RESEARCHES ON FUNGI 



brought from Amani, German East Africa. Allied to P. Kleinii, 

 but differing in the dimensions of its parts. 



Pilaira van Tieghem, Nouv. Rech. in Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 6, vol. i, 

 p. 51 (1875). 



Fruit-body consisting of a sporangiophore and a sporangium. 

 Sporangiophore arising from the myceUum without a septum at its 

 base. It is evenly cyHndrical and has no basal or subsporangiai 

 swelHng. Sporangium black, separated from the sporangiophore by 

 a columella, and having its wall highly cutinised and persistent when 

 immersed in water. When mature the sporangiophore collapses and 

 there is no projection of the sporangium. The species are all 

 coprophilous. 



Pilaira differs from Pilobolus in that its sporangiophore has no 

 septum at the base, no basal sweUing, and no subsporangiai swelhng, 

 and in that its sporangium is not violently projected. 



In 1930 Fitzpatrick, in his book on the Phycomycetes, suggested 

 that the genus Pilaira is " based on abnormal material of Pilobolus." 

 There can be no doubt that this view is erroneous. Not only 

 van Tieghem and Brefeld but also BuUer, I myseK, and others have 

 observed and cultivated the type of the genus, Pilaira anomala, and 

 have found it to be quite distinct from any abnormal form of 

 Pilobolus. 



Five species of Pilaira are known. The key to them, given 

 below, is founded on that of Ling Yong. 



Key to the Species of Pilaira 



[Spores round ..... 



(Spores oval or elongated . 



I Sporangiophores branched 



1 Sporangiophores simple 



( Sporangiophores only about 1 mm. high 



(Sporangiophores up to 10 cm. high 



(Spores oval, up to 10 [j. long 



(Spores elongated, up to 22 (x long . . . Moreaui 



nigrescens 



1 



Saccardiana 



2 



dimidiata 



3 



anomala 



