IT2 RESEARCHES ON FUNGI 



have been elucidated by Robinson. 1 In the Dominion Rust 

 Research Laboratory at Winnipeg it comes up freely on sterilised 

 soil in pots used for the growth of wheat seedlings. 



After protoplasmic streaming had been observed in Fimetaria 

 fimicola, it occurred to me that it might be observed also in Pyronema 

 confluens. A trial soon showed that this supposition was a good 

 one ; for, about 24 hours after sowing some spores of the fungus in 



Fig. 61. — Pyronema confluens. Large irregular pale-orange apothecial 

 masses formed by the confluence of numerous fruit-bodies 1-2 mm. 

 in diameter. At maturity the apothecial masses puff well when 

 suddenly exposed to dry air. Obtained on burnt ground in a wood 

 in England and photographed by Somerville Hastings. Somewhat 

 less than natural size. 



a van-Tieghem cell in a hanging drop of cleared dung-agar, proto- 

 plasm could be seen very clearly streaming through the cells of 

 several of the thicker hyphae. Owing to the ease with which the 

 spores can be sown, the certainty and rapidity with which the spores 

 germinate, and the general structure of the mycelium, P. confluens 

 proved to be excellent material for the study of protoplasmic 

 streaming and, on this account, my attention became specially 

 directed toward it. 



1 W. Robinson, " The Conditions of Growth and Development of Pyronema 

 confluens;' Annals of Botany, Vol. XL, 1926, pp. 245-272. 



