MUCOR. 



[ 621 ] 



MUCORINI. 



riments we liave made on this point have 

 hitherto given uepitivo results. 



The species of 3/hco/- described by authors 

 m-e prettv numerous; but we think consider- 

 able allowance for variation should always 

 be made in this genus. Rhizopus, Ehr. = 

 Mucor when distinctly stolouiferous. It 

 seems very doubtful whether Hydrophora 

 should be separated from Mucor. Conju- 

 gation takes place in one or two species. 



* Fertile filaments simple. 



M. Mucedo, L. (tigs. 496, 497). Myce- 

 lium byssoid, peridiole and spores globose, 

 at first white, ultimately blackish. (This 

 includes Ascophora Mucedo, Tode.) Ex- 

 tremely common. Sowerbv, Funfp', pi. 378. 

 fig. 6 ; Greville (Ascophora) ,Cri/pt. Fl. pi. 2G9. 



M. caninus, Pers. Mycelium byssoid, 

 peridiole globose, ultimately yellow or fer- 

 ruginous ; spores globose or elliptic. Very 

 common on excrement of dogs and cats in 

 wet weather. Grev. Sc. Crypt. Fl. pi. 305. 



31. fusiger, Lk. Mycelium byssoid. Peri- 

 diole globose, ultimately black ; spores spin- 

 dle-shaped. On decaying fungi. 



M. clavatus, Lk. Mycelium byssoid. Cla- 

 vate apices of the fertile filaments simply 

 penetrating the globose peridiole ; spores 

 globose, at first white, then browni, at 

 length black. On rotten pears ; possibly 

 only a state of M. Mucedo or the following. 



M. amethysteus. Mycelium thick, white, 

 closely interwoven. Peridiole at first white, 

 then pale yellow, then crystalline and pure 

 violet, finally violet-black or brownish ; 

 spores globose, filled with globose spori- 

 dioles (?). Fertile filament 1-40" high. 

 On rotten pears with the foregoing. 



M. delicatuhis, Berk. Mycelium form- 

 ing a thin velvety stratum. Very minute ; 

 fertile filaments short ; peridioles globose, pale 

 yellow ; spores globose. On rotting gourds. 



M. succosus, Berk. Mycelium forming 

 small, pulvinate, yellow, spongy masses. 

 Peridiole very minute, globose, yellow, at 

 length olive ; columella minute. On dead 

 shoots of Aucuba. Berk. Ann. N. H. vi. 

 pi. 12. fig. 15. 



** Fertile Jilamenis branched. 



M. ramosus, BuU. Mycelium Avoolly. 

 Fertile filaments racemose. Peridioles glo- 

 bose, yellow, then bluish-grey or reddish- 

 brown. On rotting fungi. Builiard, pi. 480. 

 fig. 3. 



M. suhtihssi7nus, Berk. Mycelium creep- 

 ing, filaments exceedingly slender. Fertile 



filaments branched, the short patent branches 

 each terminating in a globose peridiole ; 

 spores obhng, elliptical. A mildew of 

 onions. Berk. Jlort. Jn. iii. 97. figs. 1-5. 



BiBL. Berk. Br. Flora, ii. pt. 2. 332; 

 Ann. N. H. vi. 433 ; Kort. Jn. iii. 91 ; Fries, 

 Summa Vec). 487 ; Syst. Myc. iii. 318 ; Fre- 

 senius, Beitr. z. Mycologie, heft i. 4, 18-50 ; 

 V. Tieghem, Ann. 6'c. N. 1875, i. 5 : Brefeld, 

 Flora, 1873. 



MUCORI'NL— A family of microscopic 

 Pkycomycetous Fungi, constituting the 

 moulds, &c. common on most decaying 

 vegetable and animal substances, consisting 

 of a filamentous mycelium, forming flocks 

 and clouds in or on decaying matters, bear- 

 ing vesicles, on erect pedicels or sessile, 

 filled with minute sporules, discharged by 

 the rupture of the vesicles {peridioles). 

 These plants correspond among the theca- 

 sporous Fungi to the Mucedines among the 

 acrosporous or free-spored orders. The 

 peridiole consists of the terminal cell of an 

 erect filament, enlarged like the head on a 

 pin, into a globular vesicle. At first the 

 cavity of this vesicle communicates with 

 that of the pedicel ; but a septum is soon 

 formed ; in some genera this septum is flat, 

 in others projecting into the interior of the 

 peridiole like the "punt" of a bottle, form- 

 ing a hemispherical or cylindrical columella. 

 While this columella rises in the peridiole, 

 the latter becomes filled with spores, form- 

 ing thus a polysporous sporauge ; and it 

 bursts to let them escape. 



The manner of bursting of the sporange 

 and the form of the central column vaiy 

 much, and afford generic characters. Thel- 

 actis presents a remarkable pecidiarity : each 

 filament terminates in a sporange containing 

 a great number of spores, while at its base 

 it gives origin to whorls of branches, the 

 terminal cells of which remain sterile. 



Syzygites^ exhibits conjugation of its 

 branches, like that of the Zygnemacefe. 



Some observations of De Bary tend to 

 show that the genus Furotium only j-epre- 

 sents certain conditions of Aspergillus. In 

 some cases the lower threads are enor- 

 mously developed, Avhere, from excessive 

 moisture, the fruit cannot be produced. 

 Two different forms of fruit occasionally 

 occur in the same thread, as in Ascophora 

 elegans. 



Synopsis of British Genei-a. 



Phycomyces. Peridiole pear-shaped, se- 

 parated from the apex of the erect pedicel 



