ORGANS OF REPRODUCTION. 385 



tophores varies much; according to Henfrey, " The simplest are 

 short slender stalks, simple or branched; or they are articulated 

 branches composed of a great number of cyHndroid or globular 

 cells {fig. 823, sp) ; or the branches are reduced to two or three 

 elongated cells. The spermatia are terminal on the sperma- 

 tophores, and consist of exceedingly minute bodies, ordinarily 

 linear, very thin, short or longish, straight or curved, without 

 appendages, and motionless, and lie in a mucilage of extreme 

 transparency. These spermatia are commonly i-egarded as the 

 analogues of the spermatozoids produced in the antheridia of 

 the higher Crj'^ptogams." "When the spermagonium is mature, 

 the spermatia are discharged thi'ough the pore or ostiole in vast 

 numbers {fig. 822). 



Besides the above reproductive organs of Lichens, there are 

 also to be found in some genera, certain round cells filled with 

 a green substance, called gonidia, which are also capable of re- 

 producing the plant. They appear to be analogous organs to 

 the buds of the Phanerogamia. 



2. Fungi or Mushrooms. — This order is remarkable for the 

 great development of its reproductive apparatus, which in most 

 cases constitutes the principal portion of the plant. This re- 

 productive structure varies very much in the different tribes of 

 this vast group of plants, and can only be very briefly alluded 

 to here. The vegetative structure of the Fungi consists of 

 colourless, delicate, jointed, anastomosing filaments, called the 

 mycelium or spawn (figs. 150 — 152), which corresponds to the 

 thallus of the other Thallogens. 



From the recent researches of M. Tulasne, it would appear, 

 that the re])roductive organs of Fungi are at least of three kinds, 

 namely, 1. Spores, either naked {fig. 825); or enclosed in cases, 

 called thecce, asci, cystidia, or spo7'angia {fig. 826), and which are 

 supposed to represent the female apparatus ; 2. Spermatia {fig. 

 827), which are either developed among the spore-producing 

 bodies, or on ditferent parts of the plant. They are sometimes 

 found in distinct receptacles like those of Lichens, which are 

 accordingly termed spermagonia. These spermatia have been 

 supposed by some to be the analogues of the spermatozoids 

 found in the antheridia of the higher groups of Cryptogamous 

 Plants, and hence to represent the male apparatus, but their 

 functions are as yet by no means clearly ascertained ; and 3. 

 Stylospores enclosed in pycnidia. (See p. 384.) 



The spores, as we have just mentioned, may be either naked, 

 or enclosed in cases. We will investigate these two structures 

 separately. The simplest form of the former is seen in' such 

 Fungi, as Torula, Penicillium {fig. 151), and Botrytis {fig. 

 152); where one or more cells placed at the ends of simple or 

 branched filaments springing from the mycelium, are trans- 

 formed into spores. The term conidia has been used to distin 

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