[July, 1862.] 



CHAPTERS ON FUNGI. 



By Archibald Jerdon. 



CHAPTEE VIII. 



The second great division of the Class Fungi is, as we formerly 

 saw, that of Si'oridiiferi, in which the reproductive bodies, deno- 

 minated sporidia, are enclosed in sacs or cases. These sacs, or asci, 

 as they are termed, are generally of an elongated form, and con- 

 tain a definite number of sporidia, eight being the usual or typical 

 number, and they are frequently accompanied by threads, called 

 paraphyses, which are abortive asci, and which are often jointed 

 or septate. The number of sporidia is however sometimes inde- 

 finite. 



The external forms of the Fungi of this division are very va- 

 rious. Their size is, in general, small, but they are in many 

 cases important agents in the scheme of nature, in hastening 

 the decay and destruction of dead substances. Some of the 

 higher forms are subterraneous in their habits and very curious 

 in their structure. 



Order V. Physomycetes. 



This is a small and curious order, intermediate between Hy- 

 phomycetes and Ascomycetes, and possessing the enclosed spori- 

 dia of the latter combined with the free fertile threads, or flocci, 

 of the former. It is distinguished by the bladder-shaped fertile 

 cells being scattered on the threads, which are not compacted 

 into an hymenium. The number of sporidia is indefinite. 



The plants of this order are commonly classed under the gene- 

 ral name of Moulds, along with those of the previous order (Hy- 

 phomycetes), and are generally met with on decaying substances 

 of various kinds. 



Suborder 1. MucoRiNi, 



Threads free, bearing terminal or lateral asci {or sporangia). 

 The genus Mucor is the type of the group. 



MucoR. 

 Sporidia discrete, contained within a rounded membranaceous 

 dehiscent sporangium, bursting forth when immersed in water. 

 MucoR MucEDO, L. Common Mould. Byssoid, floeci simple, 



N. S. VOL. VI. 2 c 



