STRUCTURE ] PU.NGALS. 119 



24. Asci, are tubes, in which the sporidia are contained while 



in the nucleus. 



25. Thallodes, is an adjective used to express an origin from 

 the thallus : thus, margo thallodes signifies a rim formed 

 by the thallus, excipulus thallodes a cup formed by the 

 thallus. 



26. Lorulum, is used by Acharius to express a filamentous 



branched thallus. 



27. Crusta, is a brittle crustaceous thallus. 



28. Gongyli, or Gonidia, are granules, universally of a green 

 colour ; they lie either singly or in clusters beneath the 

 cortical layer of the thallus, or break out in clusters 

 called soredia, or in cups called cyphelia. 



5. THE FUNGAL ALLIANCE. * 

 (Fungi.) 



These plants consist of little besides cellular tissue, among 

 which spores, or sporidiferous asci are generated. Some, of 

 the lowest degree of development, are composed only of a few 

 cellules, as Mucor, of which one is larger than the rest, and 

 contains the spores; others are more highly compounded, 

 consisting of myriads of cellules, with sporidia lying in cases, 

 or asci. 



Sexes have been generally denied to Fungals. M. Leveille 

 has shown that, in the Agaric and some other high forms of 

 the order, there are two sorts of organs ; the one prominent 

 cells containing a highly attenuated form of matter, and the 

 other undoubtedly spores, and that these two kinds of organs 

 are intermingled with each other ; and these bodies have been 

 supposed to represent a sexual apparatus. There does not, 

 however, exist the slightest proof of their nature : and they 

 appear to be wholly absent in all the low Fungals. 



Corda has shown that spiral-threaded cells, analogous to 

 elaters, exist in the genus Trichia. This, however, had been 

 observed before by the younger Hedwig and Kunze. 



It is exclusively among these plants that we meet with 



* See Vegetable Kingdom," p. 29. 



