248 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



especially those in which the so called "ascogonium" had completely 

 disappeared, Morini observed no further development, except that in 

 rare cases, a few paraphyses were found. 



He is of the opinion that these "bulbil-like" bodies are degenerate 

 apothecia, analogous to the bulbils of Eidam, Karsten, etc., and 

 concludes his article by saying that "the forms heretofore called 

 * bulbils ' or ' spore-bulbils' are to be considered as exactly homologous 

 to apothecia of which they represent forms more or less degenerate 

 or modified during many generations of unfavorable conditions." 



Peziza, species; not determined. 



A species of "Peziza" found by Zukal growing on a laboratory 

 culture may be here referred to, which according to his account Is 

 associated with small bulbils 30-40 n in diameter, reddish brown in 

 color, and produced by " two or three small hyphal branches which 

 wind about one another like serpents or twist, screw-like." The 

 primordium of the apothecium is somewhat vaguely described. The 

 ascospores are said to be elliptical, hyaline, smooth, about 9 X 6 ^u, 

 obliquely monostichous, germinating readily in from twenty-four to 

 thirty-six hours. Since this form does not appear to have been studied 

 by means of pure cultures its connection with the bulbils described 

 must be regarded as somewhat doubtful. 



PYRENOMYCETOUS FORMS. 



In the review of the literature a number of pyrenomycetous forms 

 that produce bulbils were mentioned, which have been referred 

 either to the genus Melanospora or to the allied genera Sphaero- 

 derma or Ceratostoma. More than twenty different gross cultures 

 made by the writer of various substrata, such as onions, straw of 

 various kinds, paper, pasteboard. Live Oak chips, rotten planks, 

 tubers of Dahlia, old leather gloves, etc., have produced bulbils 

 which in pure cultures have yielded melanosporous perithecia. In 

 a few cases the perithecial form was found on the original sub- 

 stratum and cultures were made from the cirri of discharged asco- 

 spores, which on nutrient agar produced bulbils. 



In adflition to bulbils, all of these forms also produce ovoid, hyaline 

 conidia borne on characteristic bottled-shaped sterigmata. The 

 ascospores are yellowish brown, becoming l)lack or smoke-colored, 

 asymmetrical, more or less crescent shaped. They vary l)ut little 



