270 ROMANCE OF LOW LIFE AMONGST PLANTS. 



it ; a very common period of hibernation is from nine 

 months to a year. When germination at length takes 

 place a perfect fungus is produced ; this perfect 

 fungus at maturity produces spores, which on germi- 

 nation again produce spawn or mycelium. Sometimes 

 this spawn will at once reproduce the perfect fungus, 

 but in other instances it grows profusely, and at 

 length gives direct rise to the little resting nodosities 

 just described as Sclerotia." 



Hibernation is also common with the Uredines. 

 The teleutospores in many species, such as the 

 wheat-mildew, for instance, lie dormant through the 

 winter, but in the spring germination commences, 

 and secondary, or promycelial, spores are produced, 

 through which contact is established with young host 

 plants, a new cycle commences, and the species is 

 perpetuated. There are some species of Piiccinia, 

 etc., in which the teleutospores are capable of imme- 

 diate germination ; but there are others in which 

 the teleutospores are true resting spores, and lie 

 dormant through the winter. 



Some fungi, which manifest themselves externally 

 as moulds, parasitic upon living plants, have a pro- 

 vision, in the production of resting spores, for passing 

 through the winter, so as to be ready for the infection 

 of the young host plants which are developed in the 

 spring. This group of parasites, such as the potato- 

 disease, the onion- mould, and others of the Perono- 

 sporacecs, produce thick-coated resting spores upon 

 the mycelium in the interior of the host plant. 

 During winter, as the herbaceous plants of the pre- 

 ceding summer decay and rot, they contain within 



