CONIOMYCETES. 



[ 20.3 ] 



CONIOMYCETES. 



globose yellow powdery stipitate liead-like 

 apotheeia, and colourless spores. 



o European, 3 British species. 



BiBL. LLntrhton, Lich. FL G. B. 45. 



CONIOM YCE'TES.— A section of Fungi 

 composed of microscopic forms, for the most 

 part parasitical upon plants, growingbeneath 

 the epidermis, or overgrowing decaying ve- 

 getables, and then more or less imbedded in 

 the matrix. The fructification consists of 

 groups of sessile or stalked spores (sporiclia, 

 Fries, and sfi/lospores, Tulasne) arising from 

 the tilamentous myceliimi. In the simplest 

 forms the mycelium consists of short tila- 

 ments, which are more or less completely 

 converted into spores ; or it forms an irre- 

 gular tlocculeut patch in decaying matter or 

 under the epidermis of plants, in which the 

 spores are found intermingled, breaking out 

 on the surface of the epidermis in the para- 

 sites ; but in the more complete forms the 

 mycelium becomes organized into firm struc- 

 tures of definite form (concept acles) which 

 are hollow, the walls being lined with short 

 filaments terminating in spores. These 

 conceptacles are either produced on the sur- 

 face of the epidermis of the plant infested, 

 or they are formed internally, and are ex- 

 posed by breaking their way through to the 

 surface of the epidermal structures in which 

 they are imbedded. 



'We must not omit, in giving a description 

 of this order as it stands in systematic works, 

 to notice that recent observations go to 

 prove that it rests upon a very insecure 

 basis, and that certain supposed genera be- 

 longing to it appear to be merely forms of 

 genera which exhibit at other stages of 

 growth, or even at the same time, asciferous 

 structures which have formed the bases of 

 Ascomycetous genera. The following is a 

 summary of the views of Tulasne on these 

 points : — The Hypoxylous Fungi possess 

 at least fom* distinct kinds of organs of re- 

 production, among which the conidia liold 

 the tirst rank ; these are bodies of various 

 forms arising directly from the mycelium, 

 or from the droma which is formed upon 

 this. Conidiiferous forms of Sphcieriacei, 

 which have been regarded as autonomous 

 Fungi, have given origin to the following 

 genera of this order: — Melanconium, Stilho- 

 spora, Stef/anospon'um, Coryneum, Exospu- 

 rium, Cylindrosporium, Macrosporium, Ver- 

 mictdaria, Mi/sfro-ywrium, C'laduspdriutn, 

 Hehninthospormm, Periconium, Polythrin- 

 dum, Tuhercularia,Stilbum,Atractium, Gra- 

 pliiiim. The stylospores are the naked and 



primitive stipitate spores formed in the con- 

 ceptacles, called by Tulasne pycnidia; he 

 regards as pycnidial forms of Sphseriacei 

 most of the species of the genera Diplodia, 

 Sporocadus, Sp/ufropsis, Jlendersoiiia, M;,xo- 

 cychis, rhyllosticta, Phoma, and their allies. 

 These forms almost always occur united 

 with the perfect or Ascomycetous forms to 

 whicli they are to be referred. A third 

 kind of acrogenous bodies occur often in the 

 same conceptacles as the stylospores, but 

 are much smaller, ordinarily of linear form, 

 and are usually confounded ultimately into 

 a gelatinous mass ; these are the spermatia, 

 which are supposed to exercise a fertilizing 

 influence. The genera Cytispora, Nema- 

 spora, Libertella, Septoria, Chedaria, Lepto- 

 thyrium, &c., are chiefly based on the sper- 

 moyonous apparatus of Sphoeriacei. The 

 fourth form of spore is found enclosed in 

 asci ; the presence of these ascospores forms 

 the basis of the class Ascnmycetes. Further 

 details are given under the heads of the 

 families, and genera there referred to. 



The Uredinei exhibit similar polymorph- 

 ism ; since the genera there included, such 

 as ALcidium, Puccinia, based upon the most 

 perfect form of fruit, mostly exhibit also 

 a stylosporous form (on which is founded 

 the false genus Uredo), together with sper- 

 mogonia containing spermatia. 



Synopsis of the Families. 



PHRAGiiOTBiCHACE.T:. Conceptacles 



horny, breaking- through the epidermis of 

 leaves, &c., at first closed, afterwards burst- 

 ing longitudinally ; spores septate, and in 

 chain-hke series, intermixed with para- 

 physes on the internal walls of the con- 

 ceptacles. 



Top.uLACEi. Mycelium filamentous, 

 growing on the surface of decayed vegeta- 

 bles, bearing erect filaments, terminating in 

 rows of simple or compound spores. 



Uredinei. Mycelium a filamentous 

 mass growing in the interior of living vege- 

 table structures, finally brealcing out on the 

 surface in patches, margined or naked, and 

 bearing simple or compound spores, single 

 or in beaded series. , 



UsTiLAGiNEi. Mj-celium filamentous, 

 growing in the interior of organs of plants, 

 producing simple or septate spores, finally 

 breaking up, without bursting through to 

 the surface, so as to leave a cavity full of 

 dust-like spores. 



BiBL. Berkeley and Broome, Iloolcers 



