240 



COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGY OF FUNGI 



Somewhat higher stands the Brazilian, H. pezizoidea forming cup- 

 shaped pezizoid fructifications in whose interior are embedded the 

 perthecia. Higher still is H. poronioidea in which the stromata, as in 

 the agarics, are differentiated into a stipe and pileus and on whose upper 

 surface are embedded the perithecia. 



Highest of all are Podostroma alutacea and P. comu-damae. P. 

 alutacea grows through the whole north temperate zone, forming a 

 vertical clavate fructification (up to 3 cm. high), which divides into a 

 sterile stipe and a narow clavate head (Fig. 155, 1). Externally it 

 appears like Xylaria of the Sphaeriales or Clavaria of the Basidiomycetes 

 (Atkinson, 1905). In the Thibetan P. comu-damae, the 10-cm. high 

 fructifications are branched like a staghorn and appear deceptively like 

 the Clavariaceae. 



<n&^ 



Fig. 155. — Hypocrea alutacea. Habit and section through a fructification. (Natural size; 



after Tulasne.) 



In another direction has developed the genus, also belonging to the 

 Didymosporae, Corallormjces, whose best-known representative, C. 

 Jatrophae, is parasitic in Brazil on Aipim (Manihot, Jatropha Aipi). Its 

 fructifications are rarely more than 3 mm. high and are differentiated 

 into a pure white, flat, at times patelliform disc and into a red stipe 

 fading towards the top (Fig. 156, 1 and 2). On this disc are at first cut 

 off an enormous number of hyaline, falcate Fusarium conidia held by a 

 watery excretion in the form of a milk-white drop (Fig. 156, 4); with the 

 slightest shaking the drop flows off but another is formed in the course 

 of a few hours. At times the edges of the disc grow further towards the 

 sides in irregular folds; thereby arise flat, ruffled covers (Fig. 156, 5), 

 which may attain a cross section up to 1 cm. and (as in Hypocrea rufa) 

 hide the stipe. Under certain conditions of nourishment, the conidia 

 may arise not only on those patelliform fructifications, but also on the 

 top of coralloid, bright red, sclerotic structures which have given the genus 



