HOTSOX. — CULTURE STUDIES OF FUNGI. 301 



DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE OF BULBILS. 



It is evident from the foregoing account that bulbiferous types 

 are not only widely distributed, but are very readily obtained if sought 

 for, and, like so many other types among the Fungi Imperfecti, have 

 been independently developed by a variety of species wholly unrelated 

 and belonging to widely separated groups among the Pyrenomy- 

 cetes, the Discomycetes and the Basidiomycetes. Such bulbiferous 

 conditions, therefore, cannot in any sense be regarded as forming any- 

 thing in the nature of a Natural Group. If one may judge from our 

 actual knowledge of these forms, it would appear, on the contrary, 

 that the bulbiferous condition was a specific one, the habit having 

 been developed by certain species, only, in genera, the other members 

 of which have no such secondary means of propagation: just as the 

 habit of producing sclerotia of a characteristic type, has arisen in a 

 few species, only, of Penecillium, like P. Italieum. The same princi- 

 ple is well illustrated in the large genus Corticium many species of 

 which have been tested by means of pure cultures. Here again one 

 finds a -ingle species, only, which possesses the bulbiferous habit, namely 

 C. alutaci um, pure cultures of which become completely covered by its 

 dark brown bulbils. 



In view of the wide distribution and common occurrence of bulbil- 

 producing forms, it is not a little surprising to find such scanty refer- 

 ences to them in mycological literature; and from the experiences 

 of the writer in studying them, it seems certain that further attention 

 to this subject will not only yield numerous other forms, but will show 

 connections with "perfect" conditions even more varied than is at 

 present indicated. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF BULBILS HEREIN 

 CONSIDERED. 



According to their method of development bulbils may be grouped 

 in three more or less well defined categories namely: those which 

 originate from a primary spiral; those which develop from an inter- 

 calary primordium of several cells, and those which arise from a group 

 of vertical hyphae. Using these characters as a fundamental basis 

 fur separation, the species above enumerated may be distinguished as 

 follows. 



