TERMS USED 



but the hymenium is inclosed within an outer sack. When the spores are ripe 

 the case is ruptured and the spores escape into the air as a dusty powder. The 

 puff-balls, therefore, belong to the Gastromycetous fungi because its spores are 

 inclosed in a pouch until they are matured. 



Another very large group of 

 fungi is the Ascomycetes, or sac 

 fungi. It is very easily deter- 

 mined because all of its mem- 

 bers develope their spores inside 

 of small membranous sacs or 

 asci. These asci are generally 

 intermixed with slender, empty 

 asci, or sterile cells, called para- 

 physes. These asci are variously 

 shaped bodies and are known in 

 different orders by different 

 names, such as ascoma, apothe- 

 cium, perithecium, and recep- 

 tacle. The Ascomycetes often 

 include among their numbers 

 fungi ranging in size from mi- 

 croscopic one-celled plants to 

 quite large and very beautiful 

 specimens. To this group be- 

 long the great number of small 

 fungi producing the various 

 plant diseases. 



In a work of this kind especial 

 attention is naturally given to 

 the order of Discomycetes or cup 

 fungi. This order is very large 

 and is so called because so many 

 of the plants are cup shaped. 

 These cups vary greatly in size 

 and form; some are so small 

 that it requires a lens to examine 

 them ; some are saucer-shaped ; 

 some are like goblets, and some 



resemble beakers of various shapes. The saddle fungi and morels belong to this 

 order. Here the sac surface is often convoluted, lobed, and ridged, in order to 

 afford a greater sac-bearing surface. 



In the mushrooms, puff-balls, etc., we find the spores were borne on the 

 ends of basidia, usually four spores on each. In this group the spores are 

 formed in minute club-shaped sacs, known as asci (singular, ascus). These 



FicufE 5- Small portion of a stem of a morel showing 

 cell filaments. Highly magnified. Longyear. 



