vrTT^. 



[ 812 ] 



YOLVOCINE^. 



VITT^ OF FRUITS, See Secbeting 

 Organs of Plants. 



VITTA'RIA, Sm.— A genus of Grammi- 

 tideae (Polypodiaceous Ferns). Several 

 species ; tropical. (Hooker, Srjn. 895.) 



VOLUTELLA, Fr.— A geuus of Stilbacei 

 (Hyphomycetous Fungi), compiising seve- 

 ral species of parasites which have been 

 variously distributed. The plants consist 

 of minute fleshy papillse (stromata) of cel- 

 lular structure, the surface of which is 

 clothed with elliptic, oblong, or fusiform 

 sty lospores, from between which project long- 

 jointed hairs (fig. 800) traversing the stroma. 



Fig. 806. 



Volutella buxi. 

 Maj^iififd 20 diametera. 



It may be desirable to give the synonymy 

 of theseplants according to Berkeley and 

 Broome. 



V. ciliata, Fr. (Psilonia rosea, Br. FL). 

 Whitish or rosy ; on potatoes. 



V. buxi, Berk. & Br. (Fusisporium huxi, 

 Br. Fl.). White; on dry box-leaves (fig. 

 806). 



V. setosa. Berk. & Br. {Psilonia setosa, 

 Br. Fl^JEffevitaset, Grev.). White, onwood 

 and herbaceous stems. 



V. hijamithorum. Berk. ScBv.(Psil. h/ac, 

 Br. Fl.). White ; stipitate ; on hyacinths 

 grown in water. 



V. mehtloma, B. & Br. Orange, with 

 black hairs ; on sedges. 



BiBL. Berk. Br. Fl. ii. pt. 2. f.52-3 ; Ami. 

 N. H. 2. V. 460, pi. 11. fig. 3: Greville, 

 Cnjpt. Fl. pis. 102 & 208. fig. 2 ; Corda, Ic. 

 Fmuf. ii. pi. 13. fig. 107 ; Fries, Syst. Myc. 

 iii. 447. 



VOTA'OOIN'E/E.— A family of_ Confer- 

 void Algte; they were formerly included 

 among the Infusorial animalcules, among 

 which they form one of Ehrenberg's families. 

 The most striking general character of these 

 objects is their composition of individual 

 elements, which exhibit in their mature and 

 most perfect stage of existence, the charac- 

 ters of the transitory zoospores of the other 

 Confervoids. The Volvocinete may be cha- 



racterized as plants composed of a number of 

 permanently-active zoospore-like bodies 

 associated together into families of definite 

 form, in which the members, connected or 

 held together in various ways by cell-mem- 

 branes, retain their distinct individuality for 

 all physiological purposes of nutrition, 

 growth, reproduction, &c., but represent only 

 one being in relation to the surrounding 

 objects. Protococeiis, however, consists of 

 only a single cell. The best-known and 

 most beautiful example of this family is the 

 genus Volvo.v (PI. 7. fig. 24), consisting 

 when mature of a spherical membranous 

 sac, at the periphery of which, within the 

 membrane, are arranged a large number of 

 zoospore-like bodies (f/oniclt a), ea.ch provided 

 with a pan* of cilia, which pass out through 

 the enveloping membrane, collectively form- 

 ing a coating aU over the external siirface, 

 and by their vibration causing a rotary mo- 

 tion of the entire globe. 



The modes of reproduction of the Volvo- 

 cinea3, both vegetative and by spores, are 

 described under Pandorina, Volvox, and 

 Gonitjm; hence it is unnecessary to dwell 

 on them here. 



Char. Permanently active zoospore-like 

 bodies, ciliated (except Gyges), surroimded 

 by a gelatinous coat (like Coccochloris) ; 

 solitary or combined in definite groups, with 

 or without a common enveloping membrane. 

 Individuals pyriform, or with the body pro- 

 longed posteriorly. 



Solitary. 

 Without cilia Gyges. 



Withapairofoilm {(ChhimiJomoiias.) 



Grouped. 

 Forming a square layer, goui- 1 g„„;,„„. 

 dia with two cilia J 



Forming a spherical body. 

 Cilia solitary. 



With a " tail " Urogfenn*. 



Without a " tail." 



Without an eye-8pot,i , ,„,_ 



with special coats ...J •' "^ 

 With an eye-spot, go- i 



nidia dividing into ^ SpkcEvosira*. 



clusters ) 



Cilia two. 



Without an eye-spot... Sgnvra*. 

 With an eye-spot. 

 Common envelope spherical. 



Gonidia numerous, !iii\rolvox. 



over the periphery... ) 

 Gonidia eight, in a bir- j stephunosphar^ . 



cle at the equator i ^ '^ 



Cominou envelope ellipsoidal, gonidia sixteen 



or thirty-two Faiulorina. 



* Probably stages of development of VOLVOX or Pan- 



D OK IN A. 



