284 RESEARCHES ON FUNGI 



When an ascus of Ciliaria scutellata explodes, it shortens by 



Fig. 135. — Ciliaria acutellata (= Lachnea scutellata). Vertical section througli tlie 

 subliymeuium a and tlie hymeniiini 6 of a fruit-body wliich grew in unilateral 

 liglit, to illustrate tlie lieliotropism of tlie asci. The arrows indicate the direction 

 of the incident i-ays of light, and the asci at their extreme free ends have bent 

 toward the source of the light. In the liymenium the following structures may 

 be distinguished : c c, young asci pushing upwards among the pai'apliyses d d ; 

 e e, older asci containing spores ; /, a still older ascus with more mature sjjores ; 

 the asci e, e, and/ all have a straight axis ; g, an ascus witli mature spores just 

 pushing up above the paraphyses, its end is becoming heliotropically curved ; 

 h, i, j, and k\ four ripe asci with their free ends heliotropically curved toward 

 the source of light, their spores containing oil-drops ; I I, two asci whicli have 

 just discliarged their spores and liave contracted in length, so tliat their ends 

 are below the ends of the paraphyses ; in contracting, these two asci, I /, have 

 straiglitened somewhat so that their openings (each with an operculum laterally 

 attached) appear to be asynimetrically situated on the side of the end of the 

 ascus nearest to the source of light. Magnification, 294. 



about 30-40 [i, and thus its apex becomes drawn down to just below 

 the level of the paraphyses. During the contraction in length, the 



