CHAPTER III. — SPORES OF FUNGI. 



81 



structure of that in Peziza confluens ; I could not see it in the ascus when fully formed, 

 but the young spore-primordia on the other hand have a distinct nucleus. The spores 

 lie close together and form a small group of usually six small round delicate cells, which 

 occupy the apex or a part of one side of the ascus ; they are all alike when quite young 

 and were probably therefore formed simultaneously, but they develope very unequally ; 

 the mature asci contain from one to eight, usually six spores. 



c. The formation of spores in the sporangia of Protomyces macrosporus 



(Fig. 41), if the expression is allowable in this case, takes place after they are laid on or 

 in water. Before the water makes its way into them they have experienced complex 

 changes, which cannot be further described in this place, and have assumed the form of 

 spherical vesicles (Fig. 41 b) the walls of which are lined with a layer of dense 

 granular protoplasm (c) enclosing a large central cavity filled with water. No nuclei 

 have been seen in them. The layer of protoplasm now breaks up simultaneously all 

 round the cell usually into hundreds of 'spores' (d), which when the separation is 

 complete are small polygonal finely granular bodies parted by narrow hyaline streaks, 



FlG. 41. Protomyces macrosporus, Unger. a mature resting-spore in the dormant state (see section LI 1 1) with the remains of the 

 hypha on which it was formed, b further development when cultivated in water ; the protoplasm enclosed in an inner layer of the 

 membrane (inner cell) swells up and escapes from the ruptured outer layers of the membrane, c — e development of the spores in the 

 inner cell (sporangium) which has escaped from the outer cell. In c the protoplasm is parietal. In d the protoplasm is divided into spores. 

 In e the spores form a cluster and are separated from the layer of protoplasm which still lines the wall. Magn. 390 times. 



and presently assume the form of small cylindrical rods about 2. 2 /* in length. 

 The differentiation in the protoplasm described in my work quoted in section LIII as 

 preceding the partition requires fresh examination. A granular parietal layer of 

 protoplasm which permanently clothes the membrane and a small portion of hyaline 

 substance between the spores, possibly of the nature of protoplasm, is not employed 

 in the formation of the spores. The latter substance becomes visible, when the spores 

 have taken the form of rods and have collected into a ball (e) on one side of the 

 wall of the sporangium, as a series of radiating threads running from the ball of spores 

 to the wall-utricle; but by degrees it disappears entirely and a watery fluid takes 

 its place. 



Section XX. The spores which are produced endogenously are usually 

 set free from their mother-cells in some determinate manner as soon as they are 

 ripe and fully grown. In a few cases, as in Elaphomyces, Eurotium and perhaps in 

 Penicillium, they escape from the mother-cell before they have acquired the size and 

 structure which usually precede germination, and they subsequently attain to these at the 

 expense of dissimilar cells which had surrounded the sporangium. In extremely rare 

 [4] 



