A TROPICAL PYRENOMYCETOUS FUNGUS. 351 



have taken place, peculiar tufts of very delicate, pale hyphae 

 arise from the mycelium at the points indicated. 



The lateral lobes become pale and transparent, and split 

 up into masses of fine filaments embedded in a common 

 o-elatinous matrix, whence spring the tufts referred to. In 

 other cases, the disc is already formed before the tufts of 

 delicate hyphse appear, radiating from the edges, and em- 

 bedded (during the wet season) in jelly as before. In the 

 latter case, the tufts take their origin especially from the 

 inner walls of the disc (figs. 20 and -26), resulting, appa- 

 rently, from the splitting up of the cells into finer hyphae. 

 In other cases, the disc becomes completed, or nearly so, 

 before the delicate hyphae appear as a fringe from beneath 

 its edges. What are these tufts of slender filaments em- 

 bedded in mucilage? 



From the extremities of the fine threads pale, curved, 

 slender spore-like bodies (figs. 25 — 27) are abstricted. 

 These bodies appear to be sporidia, though I have failed to 

 make them germinate. From the close proximity of these 

 tufts to rudimentary or advanced periihecia — for, as we shall 

 see shortly, the disc becomes the protecting body to the 

 ascus-bearing " fruit " — and from the above-named fact, it 

 might be argued that the " sporidia " are really not spores 

 but " spermatia," and no doubt there is much to be said for 

 such a view ; but there are also facts which militate against 

 this view. At present, on account of the difficulties in deter- 

 mining the exact connection of these very minute filaments 

 with the larger hypha-branches, some doubt must be ex- 

 pressed as to their exact relations. 



To return to the disc, which certainly arises by successive 

 lobing and septation of the stumpy lateral branch, as de- 

 scribed. When this has attained a certain size the centre 

 becomes raised and a boss-like body results. This is caused 

 by the pressure of an increasing mass of fine filaments 

 beneath. In this dense internal mass arises the ascus- 

 bearing tissue. 



From the above it will be observed that the disc — a mass 

 of dark-coloured, thick-walled cells compressed into a 

 tissue — is a vegetative structure, and cannot be looked upon 

 as the product of a sexual act. It is true in some examples 

 the disc arises at a point where an anastomosis of hyphae 

 occurs (fig. 9), but it is also true that in the majority of 

 cases the whole course of its formation has been traced as a 

 simple development of the lateral lobe of the hyphae. 

 Unless we can regard the lateral compression of the first 

 two outgrowths of this as a sexual act, it becomes certain 



