MOyOBLEPH ARID ALES 81 



Somewhat different from these genera is Gonapodva, which 

 occurs on submerged fruits of apple, rose, or Crataegus, in asso- 

 ciation with Blastocladia and various members of the Lepto- 

 mitales. There are t\\o described species: G. prolifera var. sili- 

 quaejorims and G. polyinorpha. The thallus is filamentous, be- 

 ing composed of short segments of hvphae, which are frequently 

 constricted. The constrictions are provided with cellulin plugs, 

 like those in Leptomitus, but Gonapodva has uniciliate zoospores 

 and is thus not related to the Leptomitales. Gonapodva has 

 been placed in the Blastocladiales [Fitzpatrick (1930), Coker and 

 .Matthews (1937)], but it lacks the characteristic resistant 

 sporangia of that order. A proper disposition of the genus 

 must await knowledge of its sexual reproduction. It has been 

 strongly suspected, ho\\'ever, that if the proper environmental 

 conditions were provided, the fungus would be found to pro- 

 duce sexual organs similar to those of Alonoblepharis. Gona- 

 podva is included in the Alonoblepharidales bv Sparrow^ (1933). 



The sporangia are terminal and more or less oval but taper at 

 the apices to a blunt tip, thus resembling a lamp mantle. Young 

 sporangia frequently proUferate within older ones. Sporangia of 

 the t\vo species of Gonapodva differ greatly in size. In struc- 

 ture and behavior of zoospores, Gonapodva is similar to Alono- 

 blepharis. 



This order is rather poorly known to most mycologists. The 

 literature gives no indication that anv representative of the group 

 has ever been gro\\n in pure culture. Because of lack of under- 

 standing of proper methods of collection and of cultural require- 

 ments there is a current notion that these forms are very rare. 

 Sparrow, however, has found practically all the species in a single 

 favorable location, and future work will doubtless show that 

 they are far more widespread than has previously been supposed. 



LITERATURE CITED 



B.\RNES, B., AND R. Melville, "Notes on British aquatic fungi," Trans. 



Brit. My col. Soc, 11: 82-96, 1932. 

 Coker, W. C, and V. D. Matthews, "Monoblepharidales," North Avi. 



Flora, 2 (1):1^7, 1937. 

 CoRNU, M., "Note sur deux genres nouveaux de la famille des Saprolegniees," 



Bull. soc. bot. France, 18: 5S-59, 1871. 



