55 



The nvm'ber of spores produced ir; a cystocarp can }iard- 

 ly "be estimated witli certairilty, "because v/hile the ma-ture 

 spores are being slied, new sporogenous lobes are being in- 

 aueurated. Prom a study of several cystocarps of average 

 size, it v^-as found tliat about 6 lobes are present at one 

 time, with an average of about 40 spores in each lobe, giv. 

 ing a total of a,bout 240 spores in a norma,! cystocarp. 

 Undoubtedly the nxiwber of spores produced during the life 

 of a cystocarp may often be greater than this . 



When set free, the spores present much the same ap- 

 pearance as the tetraspores described on page T3 , They 

 are oval in shape. Around tlie periphery' is a ;^one contain- 

 ing rat}ier dense cytoplasm and numerous flattened cliromato- 

 phores, which sometimes present their edges, but usually 

 their flat surfaces, to the outside. In the centre is the 

 la.rge nucleus, enveloped in a zone of homogeneous cyto- 

 plasm. The nucleulus, which contains the cliromatin, is 

 usually in the form of 12-14 rounded bodies in tlie centre 

 of the nuclear cavity. The linin is scanty- in ajnount, be- 

 ing barely visible axound the periphery of the nucleus. 

 Between the nucleus and the peripheral zone of chroiiiato- 

 phores, the cytoplasm is very coarsely vacuolar (fig. 104). 



In a few cases, spores liave been noted wiiich liave germ- 



