584 FUNGI IMPERFECTi: THE IMPERFECT FUNGI 



mycelium or are terminal or lateral on distinct, unbranclied or branched, 

 separate conidiophores. In a few cases the mycelium breaks up into more 

 or less rounded conidia. Some species of Aspergillus with ochre-colored to 

 black conidia have conidiophores that are distinctly brown in their upper 

 portion. Because in their structure they correspond to the species of this 

 form genus that have colorless conidiophores they are not transferred to the 

 following family. Members of this family are saprophytes or parasites, includ- 

 ing some of the most ubiquitous molds and some very serious enemies of 

 economic plants. Bender recognizes 204 genera, and over 500 North American 

 species. 



Dematiaceae: like the foregoing except that the mycelium and conidiophores 

 are dark. The conidia may be dark- or light-colored. There are 206 genera, 

 and over 1000 North American species. 



Stilbellaceae^: in this family of 89 genera, and about 100 North American 

 species the mycelium spreads through the substratum in the usual manner 

 but the rather long conidiophores arise together in a more or less compact 

 column or synnema. At the top or down the sides the tips of the conidio- 

 phores spread apart and bear their spores. The degree of union is various 

 so that the structure varies from a very short column and bushy head to a 

 tall column with a small head. 



Tuberculariaceae: in this family are 152 genera, and over 400 North American 

 species. The conidiophores arise more or less radially, packed close together 

 or separate, from the surface of a somewhat rounded mass of hyphae forming 

 a sort of cushion, or sporodochium. This may be hyphal in structure or 

 pseudoparenchymatous and may be waxy, gelatinous, or horny. The conidia 

 are produced terminally or laterally from the unbranched or branched 

 conidiophores. The sporodochium and conidia may be light-colored or 

 dark-colored. 



Family Moniliaceae. In the Moniliaceae the classification is based 

 upon the number of cells in the conidia, whether these are borne upon 

 special conidiophores or are merely modified portions of the vegetative 

 mycelium, the number of conidia at the apex of the conidiophore and their 

 arrangement there, whether in a chain or a head of separate spores caught 

 in a mucilaginous drop, etc. The genus Oospora, as mostly interpreted by 

 mycologists, consists of a slender, branched or unbranched mycelium 

 which breaks up into ellipsoidal or spherical, hyaline or light-colored 

 conidia (often called "oidia")- There is no sharp line of distinction be- 

 tween the vegetative hyphae and those that are breaking up into conidia. 

 0. lactis (Fres.) Sacc. forms a thick wrinkled skin on the surface of sour 

 milk and of other liquids containing considerable organic matter. It is 

 quite similar to some of the asporogenous yeasts, many of which are the 

 causes of disease in Man and other animals, and which are discussed in 



' Since the type species of the genus Slilhum, formerly assigned to this family, has 

 been determined to belong to Order Auriculariales (see p. 444) this name is not avail- 

 able for a genus in the Fungi Imperfecti and accordingly some mycologists have pro- 

 posed the name Stilbella for the imperfect forms, wherefore the family name becomes 

 Stilbellaceae instead of Stilbaceae. 



