CHAPTER III. — SPORES OF FUNGI. 



99 



again from their mother-cells, such as asci and the like. Initial cells of the same 

 morphological value may in case A become spores directly, in case B may become by 

 division aggregates of spores, which were named above compound spores, but which 

 it would be better perhaps to designate by the term previously suggested of spore- 

 groups or sporidefms. The descriptions would thus be rendered short and clear, and 

 would stand the scrutiny of the attentive and thoughtful student. The result would justify 

 the experiment. 



That compound spores are produced by ordinary bipartition with septation of their 

 initial cells, as represented in Fig. 49, has been recently confirmed by Strasburger 1 . I do 

 not here go further into the subject of Korber's sporoblasts and the correlative terms 2 . 

 The long filiform initial cells of species of Cordyceps 3 divide into a very large number 

 of short cylindrical simple spores, but it is still a question whether the division is 

 simultaneous or by successive bipartitions. In these Fungi moreover the compound 



FIG. 49. Sphaeria Scirpi, DC a—e successive stages of development of the spores in the order of the letters ; 

 all drawn from specimens inside recently isolated and uninjured asci. yripe compound spores discharged from the 

 ascus. After Pringsheim. a — e magn. 390, / 350 times. 



spores, eight of which are formed in each ascus, break up of their own accord when 

 they escape into their numerous component parts, each of which can germinate by itself ; 

 thus they are disuniting spore-groups, and their disunion may take place inside the 

 ascus. We should be obliged to say in this case, according to the usual terminology, 

 that each spore breaks up into many spores capable of germination. In nearly related 

 genera, such as Claviceps, the filiform spores remain undivided till after germination, 

 and put out germ-tubes. The spores also of Cenangium fuliginosum, Fr. behave in 

 the same way as those of Cordyceps, while the spores of other species of Cenangium 

 do not disunite 4 . De Notaris 5 gives an account of the disunion of the spores of 

 Sporormia fimetaria, Not. 



II. STRUCTURE OF THE RIPE SPORES. 



Section XXX. In considering the structure of the ripe spore we must 

 distinguish between motionless spores and those endowed with power of motion or 

 swarm-spores. 



The motionless spores are much the most common, and everything that was 

 said in previous sections, with the exception of sections XVIII. a and XX. a, about the 

 development and discharge of spores, referred only to them. In the mature state they 

 are cells of extreme variety of form in the different species, most frequently round 

 or longer than broad, in Claviceps and some others elongated cylindrical tubes. 



1 Zellbild. u. Zelltheil. ed. 3, p. 51. 



2 Syst. Lichen. German. Einleitung. 



3 Tulasne, Carpol. Ill; Bot. Ztg. 1867, 1. 



1 See Tulasne in Ann. d. sc. nat. XX, ser. 3, p. 135. 



' Microm. Ital. Dec. V in Mem. R. Acad. d. Torino. 



H 



