Fungi 



411 



cells. These buds gradually enlarge until they attain their 

 complete growth and separate, forming new individuals. The 



Fig. 252. A, blue mold (Penicillium) ; B, green mold {Aspergillus). Both show the 

 hyphce, upright branches, and conidia. {After Frank.) 



alcohol formed in the test tube by the yeast may easily be de- 

 tected by its odor. 



The green and blue molds. Among the most widely known of 

 the fungi are the green and blue molds. They are conspicuous 

 destroyers of food. Fruits, vegetables, bread, and other starchy 

 materials; canned fruits, preserves, and jellies; and even, 

 smoked meats, are all subject to the attack of the fungi under 

 favorable moisture and temperature conditions. Some of the 

 blue molds, on the other hand, are used in the manufacture of 

 cheese. The flavors of Roquefort and Camembert cheese, for 

 example, are largely due to the blue mold present. 



The blue and green molds are so common and so widely dis- 

 tributed that their spores are present in the dust and air every- 

 where. When they fall on moist food they germinate, forming a 

 hypha which soon branches profusely and forms a disk-like myce- 

 lium. After two or three days the upright hyphae toward the 

 center begin to produce spores, and the green color is due to the 

 colored spores. 



