ON THE SrEUMATIA OF THE ASCOMYCETES. 1C3 



Academy,* showed that this theory might be combatted by some 

 solid reasons. M. Tnlasne, likewise overthrew it, so to say, with 

 his own hands, by showing the development of Pyronema conjluens 

 and other Discomt/cetes, a development due to the conjngation of 

 two sorts of organs, the one male and the other female. 



I have been able to obtain, in a very complete manner, in certain 

 cases, the germination of the spermatia, hitherto considered devoid 

 of the germinatire facnlty ; in other cases, the considerable modi- 

 fication of these small bodies under the action of water and warmth 

 united to that of the oxygen in the air, although these agents were 

 reputed, as without effect, showed that the spermatia are probably 

 capable of producing a mycelium, like the other spores. At times, 

 the action of pure water sufficed to make them vegetate ; in other 

 cases, and more often, it is necessary to add some nutritive element. 

 In studying the Carpologia with care, it is easy to see that the 

 author had already sometimes obtained this germination (DoJiidea 

 melanops, Cenangium Ribis, &c.) ; whence some terms are derived 

 which represent it, called by the names of microstylospores, micro- 

 conidia or spermatiform stylospores. In many genera, spermati- 

 form stylospores exist among certain species, whilst among other 

 allied species they are exclusively veritable spermatia ; I am attack- 

 ing myself in this last case, and I have been able ( Vcdsa ambiens, 

 V. salicina) to obtain a development of these small bodies which 

 ought theiefore to be considered as of the same order as the otheis. 

 When the stylospores are not enclosed in cavities, their homo- 

 logous form takes the name of chlamydospores ov macroconidia ; the 

 microstylospores are designated simply under the name of conidia. 

 In support of what has been said above, one sees that the conidia 

 are the representatives of the spermatia which would be free and 

 not contained in a special cavity. If one studies with care the 

 different forms of conidiferous or spei'matiferous apparatus, one 

 sees that they present a great number of forms which pass from 

 one to the other in an insensible manner. The more important 

 transitions are furnished by the genus Hypomyces, which leads from 

 a form imitating the dendritic sperm atisphores to the complicated 

 form of the Mucedines ( Selenosporium and Fusispnrium) : it suf- 

 fices to study H. ochraceiis and H. roseUus in order to be easily 

 convinced. These conclusions will be demonstrated in detail, with 

 figures, in a special Memoir which will soon be published. It is to 

 the spermatiferous form that the conidia of VerticilUum^ Acrosta- 

 lugmus, Penicillium, Acremonium, Cylindrophora, etc., apply ; which 

 are probably not all forms of Ascomycetes, as some have stated. 

 It is also as spermatia that the conidia of Nectria, Nmnmularia, 

 Torrubia, Xylmia, Poronia, etc., may be considered. 



The germination of the spermatia permits the formation of two 

 interesting conclusions : the first is relative to the old theory of 

 fecundation, which ought now to be abandoned ; the second is more 



* " Comptes Kendus," 21 June, 1875, p. 1468. 



