ASI "MYcl.TES. 137 



This ascogenous layer has been named the ascogonium. and it 

 was at one time generally believed that it arose fr<>m a female 

 cell, the homologue of the oospore of lower fuimi : a hypha 

 which applied itself to the asco-o'iium was regarded a- a male 

 or antheridial organ, and called a pollinodium. In other cases, 

 a thread-like hypha, which proceeded from the a-co-onium, was 

 called a trieho-yne ; it was believed to be fertilized by means 

 of eeriain very small cells (spermatia) produced in special 

 structures, the spermogonia. These spermatia, though known 

 for a Ion- time, have only recently been made to germinate, and 

 that only in nutritive solutions. The significance of the pol- 

 linodium as a male organ is not necessarily wrong, though it 

 may be a functionless structure, such as we already know 

 antheridia of many of the Phycomycetes to be. So also \ve may 

 still consider the spermatia as sexual bodies, even thou-h they 

 germinate like spores, for" their never-failing production before 

 aecidia would seem to sn^-vst some relationship. In the 

 following j)ages we will speak of these little spore-, sometimes a- 



unatia, sometimes as conidia. 



Reproduction of Ascomycetes may also take place by conidia 

 and chlamydospores, capable of -erminat ion to form mycelia. 



Amon-st the Aseoinvcetes one finds the higher Stages of de- 



w 



velopment accompanied by an almost complete enclosure of the 

 regations of asci. The asci of the Saeeharonn mate at 



any -pot whatever between the mycelial threads; in //////(//(/ 

 one finds a loose web of mycelium forming a covering to the asci ; 

 in higher forms an enclosure <>pon>earp) of definite shape is 

 developed. < )n this account, the forms which do not 



sporocarps are classed together as ( iymnoa-ci. the sporoca 

 forms as ( 'arpoasci. Amon-st the latter, the aporocarp "f the 

 higher form> poSJ B definite opening from which the -pores are 



emitted after liberation from the asci ; certain lo\svr (..mi- ( IVri- 



Bporiaceae) ha\e indeed sporocarps, but these possess n" openin-, 



and it i- only after they ha\e ruptured or decayed that the 



spores are -et five. 



.1. ( iVMN'..\s< I. 

 (.!.> ,,/,. ' 1 1,,, at > , ;.V. ) 



Tl, a-ei ai'e produced OV6I tlie \\liole mycelium, or fn>m a 

 .-peejal -nous part of it, and ale never enclo-ed in a spmo 



c.l! p. 



