MUCOR. 



[ 620 ] 



MUCOR. 



Tiqndaspora. Pedicels, short lateral 

 branches from a creeping filament, termi- 

 nating in cellular heads beset with simple 

 spores on the areolfe. 



Rhopalomyces. Pedicels erect, not septate, 

 terminating in cellular heads, with simple 

 spores on the areohe. 



Stachj/lidvcm. Pedicels erect, articulated, 

 whorlecl-branched above ; branchlets geni- 

 culate and articulate ; spores subpedicellate, 

 accumulated in little capituhform heads 

 inserted at the tips of the branches. 



Gonatuhotrys. Pedicels erect, septate, 

 ■with joints swollen at intervals, the swollen 

 joints bearing globular heaps of spores on 

 short spines spirally arranged. 



Acmosjmrium. Pedicels erect, septate, 

 branched above; branches and branchlets 

 forming a cyme, thickened at the apex, and 

 furnished with globular capitules covered 

 all over with points ; spores simple, attached 

 on the points of the capitules. 



IlaplotricJmm. Pedicels erect, septate, 

 terminating above in a continuous, simple, 

 solitary, sporiferous head ; spores simple. 



Actinocladium. Pedicels erect, septate, 

 umbellately branched at the summit; spores 

 simple, accumidated at the tips of the 

 branches. 



Botryosporium, Pedicels erect, septate, 

 with short spine-like branchlets above, spi- 

 rally arranged, and ternunating in four or 

 five short points, which support globular 

 heads of spores. 



** Spores septate. 



Arthrobotrys. Pedicels simple, septate, 

 with joints swollen at intervals, the swollen 

 joints clothed with spines bearing didymous 

 spores, which are collected into globular 

 heaps. 



Some of the species are mere conditions 

 of perfect Fungi, as Hypoaylon and Chiviceps. 



In several genera, sexual union like that 

 in Tuber and Peziza takes place. 



MU 'COR, Micheli. — A genus of Mucorini 

 (Phycomycetous Fungi), forming a common 

 mould on paste, decaying fruits, or other 

 vegetable matters. I'lie general character 

 is that of an interwoven mass of hori- 

 zontal branched filaments, sending down 

 little root-hke ramules, and pushing up 

 erect, not septate, fertile filaments, which 

 branch at the base in a stoloniferous man- 

 ner, and thus form loosely grouped tufts. 

 At the sunnnit of the erect filaments, a 

 globular vesicle is formed, wliich soon be- 



comes cut of!" by a septum. Its contents 

 become di\ided into a large number of 

 spores ; and the septum at the base becomes 

 meanwhile pushed up or protruded into the 

 centre of the vesicle so as to form a kind of 

 " core," called the coJumeUa. After a time 

 the vesicle {peridiole) bursts and discharges 



Fig. 496. 



Fig. 497. 



Mueor Mu^edo. 

 {Ascophora foim.) 

 Fig. 496. Nat. size, growing on a leaf. 

 Fig. 4^7. Single fertile filaments, with the columella 

 collapsed, and fallen like a cap over the end. Magn. 50 

 diams. 



its spores ; the pressure of the turgid colu- 

 mella apparently hastens the bursting. The 

 dehiscence takes place either by a circular 

 slit just above the base of the columella, 

 leaving this alone, surrounded by a narrow 

 ragged collar (Mucor), or the peridiole 

 bursts above and disappears by solution, 

 and the columella collapses upon "the pedicel 

 (Ascop/iorci, fig. 497). The membrane of 

 the peiidiole of M. 31ucedo, and perhaps of 

 other species, is clothed with minute spines. 

 The erect filament is sometimes simple, 

 sometimes branched. It has been conjec- 

 tured, though on what grounds is imcert'ain, 

 that the columella mav become converted 

 into a second peridiole, Iby being shut off by 

 a septum which is converted into a new 

 columella. 



It has been imagined that Achlya is 

 only an aquatic form of Mucor; and this 

 seems not iruprobable ; however, the expe- 



