286 THE BASIDIOMYCETES 



pute. After the fusion of the 2 nuclei of the young hypoba- 

 sidium, 2 projections, which become the epibasidia, appear from 

 its apex. Dangeard (1895) reported that only 1 nuclear division 

 occurs in the hypobasidium. Shortly thereafter another nuclear 

 division occurs, resulting in the existence of 4 nuclei within the 

 hypobasidium, as was noted by Istvanffi (1895), Juel (1898), and 

 Maire (1902). Eventually 2 of these nuclei form the 2 uninu- 

 cleate spores; the 2 remaining nuclei degenerate within the hypo- 

 basidium, according to the account of Gilbert (1921). An essen- 

 tially similar course of development has recently been described 

 for Guepinia spathularia by Bodman (1938); in this species, how- 

 ever, the 2 nuclei pass into the epibasidium before degeneration 

 occurs. 



Duller (1922) has presented an account of the development and 

 discharge of basidiospores in living material of Dacryomyces deli- 

 qiiescens. The development of a spore upon the sterigma re- 

 quires about 50 minutes; the basidiospore is then shot off forcibly 

 for a distance of approximately 0.5 mm. The basidiospore is 

 unicellular and uninucleate upon discharge but shortly thereafter 

 becomes multicellular. The number of cells is commonly 4 and 

 occasionally as many as 8; it may vary considerably even within 

 a single species. 



The basidiospores of Dacryomyces, like those of certain mem- 

 bers of the Auriculariales and Tremellales, have the characteristic 

 of germinating by repetition. Each cell of the mature basidio- 

 spore may give rise to 1 or several uninucleate conidia, which 

 develop into a monocaryotic mycelium. 



The Dacryomycetales, by virtue of similarities in habit of the 

 fruiting bodies and method of basidiospore germination, appear 

 to be closely related to the other orders of Heterobasidiomycetes. 

 A possible derivation from the Auriculariales, involving reduc- 

 tion in the number of functional nuclei within the basidium from 

 4 to 2, and loss of the septate nature of the basidium, has been 

 suggested by Juel (1898) and other authorities. 



LITERATURE CITED 



Bodman, M. C, "Morphology and cytology of Giiepmia spat Jml aria,'" 



MycoL, 30:635-652, 1938. ' 

 BuLLER, A. H, R., Researches on fimgi, Vol. II. Longmans, Green and 



Company, London. 1922. 



