142 THE LOWER FUNGI— PHYCOMYCETES 



Key to Species of Monoblepharis 



I. Oospore normally maturing within the oogonium. 



A. Oospore smooth, antheridium borne on the oogonium. 



1. Oogonia large, normally superposed in single series. 



1. M. insignis Thaxter (Fig. 54, a-d) 



2. Oogonia small, fasciculate at the tips of the hyphae. 



2. M. fasciculata Thaxter (Fig. 54, e-g) 



B. Oospore warted, antheridium borne below the oogonium. 



3. M. sphaerica Cornu (Fig. 53, a-c) 



II. Oospore normally maturing outside of the oogonium. 



A. Oospore adherent to the mouth of the oogonium, tlie antheridium 



normally borne on the oogonium. 



1. The antheridium borne above the middle third of the oogo- 



nium, lacking an abruptly distinguished point of insertion, 

 narrowly cylindrical. 



4. M. polymorpha Cornu (Fig. 53, d-f) 



2. The antheridium borne below the terminal third of the 



oogonium, arising from an abruptly distinguished point of 

 insertion, broadly cylindrical. 



5. M. brachyandra Lagerheim (Fig. 53, g-h) 



B. Oospore falling away from the mouth of the oogonium; oogonia 



and antheridia normally borne on separate hyphae. 



6. M. inacrandra (Lag.) Woronin. 



Two additional species, known only in the sporangial stage, M. 

 regignens Lag. and M. ovigera Lag., are omitted because of 

 imperfect knowledge. Laibach (1927) has erected for these the 

 genus Monoblepharopsis, and regards it as intermediate between 

 Monoblepharis and Gonapodya. He recognizes M. regignens 

 (Lag.) Laibach without reserve, but suggests the probability 

 that M. ovigera (Lag.) Laibach constitutes merely a variation 

 of it. Moreover, Laibach states that Monoblepharis brachyandra 

 Lag. represents merely a developmental phase of M. polymorpha, 

 and intimates that M. insignis Thaxter and M. fasciculata Thax- 

 ter belong in the same category. 



Although Lagerheim presented isolated facts concerning the 

 cytology of Monoblepharis our knowledge of the nuclear history 

 in the genus rests almost wholly on the recent researches of 

 Laibach. Both writers state that the oogonium is uninucleate 

 in the beginning and remains so until after fertilization. In 

 this respect the female organ differs strikingly from that of any 

 other known member of the Oomycetes. Here the term gamete, 

 rather than coenogamete, may be correctly applied (p. 31). 



