238 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



(e) Basidiomycetous Forms. 



The only account, as far as the writer is aware, of the definite 

 association of bulbils with Basidiomycetes is given by Lyman ('07) 

 in connection with his culture-studies of Corticium aluiaceum (Schra- 

 der) Bresadola, his results having been obtained from pure cultures 

 made of the basidiospores of this fungus. "The bulbils," he says, 

 " are reddish-brown or chocolate-colored clusters of cells, more or less 

 globose in shape, and usually 65-80 fj, in diameter, although ranging 

 as high as 220 fx. . . .They are frequently very irregular in shape, due 

 to the unsymmetrical arrangement of the cells, and to the bulging 

 of the free outer walls. There is no distinction between internal and 

 external cells of the cluster." Besides the basidiospores and bulbils 

 this Corticium also produces conidia which are of the Oidium-type. 

 Occasionally whole hyphae break up into chains of spores of this type. 



Lyman also mentions two other bulbiferous fungi which were 

 referred to the Basidiomycetes, being recognized as such by the clamp- 

 connections of their hyphae, although the basidiospores were not 

 obtained. 



Lastly, it may be well to mention an article by Harz ('90), in which 

 he describes a fungus found growing on material obtained from the 

 reservoir of a factory and which he names Physomyces heterosporus 

 {Monascus heterosporus (Harz) Schroter). Although this fungus is 

 probably a true Monascus, as Schroter has indicated, yet since it has 

 been associated with bulbils, and since the ascocarps of Monascus in 

 general bear a superficial resemblance to them, it may be well at least 

 to mention it in passing. Harz has associated this form closely with 

 Helicosporangium parasiticum Karsten, and created a new family — 

 Physomycetes — for the reception of these two genera. As, however, 

 these two forms will be referred to again in connection with //. ^jara- 

 siticum Karsten, a further consideration of them will be deferred until 

 that time. 



It will be seen from the foregoing brief review of the literature that 

 much of it is quite vague and untrustworthy. This perhaps is what 

 one would expect from investigations which were carried on during 

 a period prior to the adoption by mycologists of the bacterial methods 

 of handling pure cultures. This is especially true with regard to 

 polymorphic forms, like some of those under consideration, where it 

 is so necessary to adopt these methods in order to be absolutely sure 

 of the different steps in following the life history of the fungus from 

 spore-form to spore-form. The contributions of Lyman and Biffen 



