54 IJNDSAY, ON ABROTHALLUS. ' 



lower tribes of fungi and lichens^ there is good ground for 

 believing that a similar diversity may occur also in the latter. 

 TulasnCj who is no less eminent as a mycologist than as a 

 lichenologistj regards the pycnides^ which I have described, 

 as properly pertaining to the genus Abrothallus ; and 

 Berkeley, than whom there is no more competent authority 

 in this country, holds a similar opinion. In a recent cor- 

 respondence with the latter distinguislied botanist, he 

 informs me that he is acquainted with one fungus — Ei'y- 

 siphe [Ascomycetes, subord. Pmsporiacei of Lindley's 

 ' Veget. Kingdom,' 3d. ed., 1853, p. 43) — which has no less 

 than five diflcrent forms of reproductive bodies or organs, 

 none of which can be looked upon as spermatia according to 

 Tulasne's views ; that many species of Diplodla, Sphcei'opsis, 

 Phoma, &c., belong to Spharia, Tympanis, Cmiungiam, &c. ; 

 and that, prior to the recent discoveries on tlie reproduction 

 of lichens, the pycnidis of the Abrotliallus woiild have been 

 designated a Flioma. The fact tb.at the lower fungi and 

 lichens may possess several very dilFereut reproductive cor- 

 puscles must greatly modify our future views of classification 

 and nomenclature. ^' So convinced am 1," says Berkeley, 

 " of the near relation of lichens to fungi that, in the por- 

 tion of my introduction to ' Crjqitogaraic Botany ' which is 

 printed, I make one division, Myceiales, to include Fungahs 

 and Lichenales " [in lit.) 



I have occasionally noticed in tlxe tissues forming or sur- 

 rounding the walls of the py cnides, peculiar tubes, presenting, 

 at irregular intervals, bulgings, which ultimately, by 

 elongation and expansion, become dilated into obovate cells, 

 destined to be thrown off like l)ud3 or gemmae. In these 

 lateral dilatations the granular protoplasm of the parent 

 tubes appeared to accumulate, a septum was gradually 

 developed, and the gemmule fell off' at the point of division. 

 These tubes generated large numbers of such cellular bodies, 

 which increased in dimensions after their separation, and 

 frequently bore a close resemblance to the stylospores, except 

 that they were generally less regularly pyriform. Similar 

 structures I have also noticed in the tissues of other lichens ; 

 but I have not yet directed special attention to their nature, 

 and can, therefore, throw no light on the part which they 

 play (if any) in the function of reproduction. The sperma- 

 tial sterigmata in A. oxysjmrus appear sometimes to be 

 developed laterally from tubes in a similar way. I have also 

 observed in the tissues of various lichens, a tendency in 

 certain filaments to develop lateral and terminal cells, of a 

 round or obovate form, varying greatly in size, and generally 



