MONOBLEPH ARID ALES 697 



Most members of the order may be obtained from a single favorable 

 situation. Their supposed rarity appears due largely to lack of infor- 

 mation concerning proper methods of collection and of subsequent 

 treatment of material. 



Species of Monoblepharis are primarily inhabitants of dead, entirely 

 submerged twigs in permanent fresh-water habitats. In the collection of 

 such twigs several factors should be borne in mind:(l) The pool must 

 be relatively quiet and free from silt and from an excess of products of 

 organic decomposition. (2) The twigs must not be decorticated and 

 should preferably be waterlogged. (3) Certain twigs, notably those of 

 birch, oak, and ash, seem particularly suited to the requirements of the 

 fungus. 



Other types of substrata, such as insect cadavers, twigs of broad- 

 leaved trees, needles, twigs, and sap of coniferous trees, submerged 

 lichens and fungi, and fruits, have also been described as favorable to 

 the development of Monoblepharis. 1 



Material of the fungus is rarely found on twigs brought in from the 

 field and immediately subjected to examination. If, however, such twigs 

 are placed in sterile distilled water and maintained at 8-1 5°C. for from 

 three to seven days, the fungus, if it is present on the substratum, will 

 often by then have produced an abundance of growth. In such cases 

 there will appear tufts or pustules of very delicate pale-gray rather flex- 

 uous hyphae, which may cover the twig or be confined to the openings 

 of the lenticels. If, subsequently, the material thus obtained is main- 

 tained at 8-1 1°C. only sporangia will develop, whereas if it is placed at 

 room temperature (21°C.) sexual reproduction will ensue. 



Monoblepharella has thus far only been recovered from soils in warm 

 latitudes by means of water cultures baited with vegetable material. 

 Species of this genus form sporangia at 13-36°C. and sex organs between 

 26-32°C, thus both may be produced simultaneously at certain temper- 

 atures (Springer, 1945b). 



Species of Gonapodya are frequently found on twigs along with 

 Monoblepharis. They are much more common on submerged fruits, 

 however, particularly on those of apple and rose. On these substrata 



1 See Perrott {Nature, 182: 1322. 1958), where directions are given for growing 

 Monoblepharis in pure culture on agar media and 1 per cent tryptone broth. 



