Introduction 5 



the fungus over the winter. Here the high development of the 

 conidial stage is obviously an adaptation to the parasitic habits 

 of the fungus. Other similar illustrations might be cited. 



From this high development of the conidial stages in some of 

 the fungi of this group and their adaptation to their hosts have 

 resulted the most complicated pleomorphic life cycles. To 

 trace these requires the most careful laboratory studies, and it is 

 needless to say that only a small percentage of the forms have 

 been so studied. Many do not respond easily to this kind of 

 treatment, or it may be possible that the right technique has not 

 been employed. And since the classification of these forms is 

 often based on their conidial stages, it follows that any treat- 

 ment of genera adopted now is purely tentative. 



While many of the inoperculates are parasitic, man>- more 

 are strictly saprophytic, and in many of these the conidial stages 

 are as yet unknown, or possibly lacking a condition similar to 

 that found in the operculates. The types of conidia found in 

 the inoperculates are most varied and no attempt will be made 

 to enumerate them here. They will be treated with the species 

 to which they are organically connected. 



Sex in the Cup-fungi 



Definite sex organs were observed by Tulasne and DeBary 

 at an early date, but whether these actually functioned has 

 remained a controversial question. Tulasne, as early as 1865, 

 observed minute bodies in certain of the discomycetes which he 

 called spermatia or conidiola, which he believed would be found 

 to function like that of the pollen. They were believed to be 

 male sperms, like the spermatia of the lichens. Recent authors 

 held the same view. 



Spermatization 



In 1932, F. L. Drayton (Mycologia 24: 345-348.) proved 

 that microconidia, which were found in many species of Sdero- 

 tinia and other fungi, and which were probably morphologically 

 identical with the spermatia or conidiola of Tulasne, stimulated 

 the production of apothecia when placed on certain structures 

 which develop on another thallus of the same fungus. To this 

 process he applied the term "spermatization." 



His preliminary experiments were carried on with Sclerotinia 

 Gladioli. Isolates of this fungus transferred to suitable culture 



/<9 oO°2 ^^/ 



2- LiQRAnV I 



