PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 191 



specimen the fruit has a very thick, soHd, homogeneous, integral 

 pericarj) ; while in Marujui this is equally thick, but disintegral, 

 consisting of three distinct parts, the outer one or pericarp being 

 translucent, pergamineous, bladder-like, the inner one or endocarp 

 being thin and membranaceous, while the intermediate copious 

 mesocarp is mucilaginous ; it contains a single seed or XDutamen, 

 like that figured by Gaertner. In 1866 Sign or Netto described a 

 Brazilian plant under the designation of Odina Francoana, and 

 bearing the vernacular name of ' Pao Pombo ' : this is considered 

 by the author as congeneric with Netto's species, which cannot 

 belong to Odina, as that genus is Anacardiaceous, and quite 

 foreign to the American Continent. Netto's plant bears many 

 small male monoecious flowers, the structure of which conforms 

 with that originall}^ defined by St. Hiliare as characteristic of the 

 SimaruhacecB. The author concludes with a short diagnosis of the 

 two species, which are severally illustrated by analytical drawings.-'- 

 — ' On the Seed-structm-e and Germination of a Species of PacJnra,' 

 by Mr. E. Ii'win Lynch. The seeds were received at Kew in 

 July, 1877, labelled the 'Provision Tree.' They vary in size and 

 form, are without albumen, and consist in bulk of but one fleshy, 

 lobed cotyledon, the second being exceedingly diminutive and 

 apparently functionless. Germination takes place in about a 

 fortnight after sowing, and in one case observed the large per- 

 sistent cotyledon did not appear to be exhausted for nearly six 

 mouths. — ' On the Occurrence of Conidial Fructification in the 

 Mucorini, illustrated by Choanephora,' by Dr. D. D. Cunningham, 

 F.L.S. This paper is designed to show that this fungus, the 

 Cunni'ughamia infundihuUfera, Currey * Jour. Linn. Soc' xiii. p. 333, 

 in place of being a member of the Mucedines, belongs to the 

 Mucorini ; and that De Bary's suggested analogy between the 

 Mucorini and Ascomycetes, in respect of their fructification, is well 

 founded, although the observations which originally suggested it 

 have since been shown to be fallacious. The investigation of 

 Choanephora has been carried on for some years as opportunity has 

 permitted. Its presence on plants certainly accelerates decay greatly, 

 but it is a cause, not a consequence, of advanced putrefaction. The 

 author proceeds to describe in detail the various featm-es and points 

 of importance, and the following is given us as an abstract of 

 the results at which he believes he has arrived. The results of 

 study of the plant under normal conditions show that it possesses 

 a mycelium and sexual reproductive a^^paratus of the recognised 

 Mucorine type, but that the asexual fructification, in place of 

 being sporangial, is of a truly conidial nature. Under other special 

 conditions of nutrition and media employed, however, sporangial 

 and chlamydosporous forms of fructification obtain. That the 

 former of these two really belongs to the same plant as the zygo- 

 spores and conidial forms is grounded on the following reasons : — 



1. Conidia have given a mycehum producing such s23orangia. 



2. Spores from a sporangium have developed a mycelium bearing 



♦ On this genub see ' Jouru. Bot.,' 1878, p. 258. 



