CHARA. 203 



The question as to the origin of the gonidia is not yet 

 settled. 



353. The structure of the apothecium is very well 

 shown in Fig. 253. From the hyphse are developed 

 large, club-shaped, vertical cells (the asci) which penetrate 

 between the narrower vertical branches of the hyphse (the 

 paraphyses). In the asci arise the spores (technically, 

 ascospores), usually eight in each, and these when mature 

 are discharged from the asci, and give rise to new plants. 

 The ascospores are formed in the asci by the process 

 known as free cell-formation (283). The protoplasm in 

 the asci collects about as many different points as there 



Fig. 253. 



are spores to be formed, and a wall is then secreted about 

 each. This mode, which is characteristic of a large 

 number of Fungi, is quite distinct from that which 

 prevails in the Mushrooms, where, as we have seen, the 

 spores are formed by abstridion. 



354. Chara. Fig. 254 represents a Chara of the 

 natural size. It grows almost everywhere in fresh waters, 

 and is quite readily distinguished from other thread-like 



Fig. 253. Very highly magnified view of section p an apotheciura, showing 

 the club-soaped a?ci. (Thome.) 



