ASCLEPIADACE^E. 



[ 78 ] 



ASCOMYOETES. 



BlBL. 



p. 145. 



Brady, Copepoda (Ray Soc.), i. 



ASCLEPIADA'CE/E. A family of Di- 

 cotyledonous flowering plants, presenting 

 some remarkable characters in the pollen 

 (see POLLEN). The stems of some of these 

 plants contain very tenacious fibres, which 

 nave been used ibr economical purposes 

 (see FIBRES, vegetable). 



ASCOB'OLUS. A genus of Helvellacei ; 

 distinguished from Peziza by the asci being 

 projected from the hymenium at maturity. 

 Ascobolus furfuracem is common on cow- 

 dung ; but there are numerous other British 

 species. The sporidia are often beautiful 

 microscopic objects (Cooke, Seemann's Jn. 

 Sot., May 1864). 



ASCOCOC'CUS, Billr. A genus (form) 

 of Coccobacteria septica, consisting of very 

 minute colourless globules, closely united 

 into globular or oval families, irregularly 

 lobed, surrounded by a thick gelatinous en- 

 velope, forming a soft, tiocculent, easily 

 disintegrated membrane. See COCCOBAO 

 TERIA. 



ASCOGLE'NA, Stein. A genus of Fla- 

 gellate Infusoria. 



Char. Those of Eiiglena, enclosed in and 

 fixed by the base to a flask-shaped lorica. 



A. vaginicola. Green, with eye-spot ; in 

 fresh water. 



BIBL. Kent, Inf. p. 393 (fig.). 



ASCOMY'CES. A genus of Ascomy- 

 cetous Fungi, changed by some botanists, 

 without reason, into Exoa&cus, characterized 

 by the absence of any receptacle, the asci 

 forming a thin pulverulent stratum. All 

 the species are parasitic on living leaves or 

 young shoots. It is the lowest form to 

 which Ascomycetes can be reduced. British 

 species : 



A. bidlatus. On pear-leaves. 



A. deformans. On peach-leaves, produ- 

 cing a form of blister ; and on young plums, 

 forming what are called bag-plums, in which 

 the stone is not developed. 



A. trientalis. On leaves of T. europaa. 



A. juglandis. On walnut-leaves. 



A. carnosa. On Rhododendron ferru- 

 ginettm, producing large gall-like excres- 

 cences. 



BIBL. Berkeley, Jn. Hort. Soc. vol. ix. 

 p. 48 ; JBr. Fung. p. 376. 



ASCOMYCE'TES. An order of Fungi 

 characterized by producing the spores in 

 tubular sacs (asci or thecce), frequently in- 

 termixed with empty filiform sacs (para- 

 physes) (fig. 40), and hence bearing a near 



relation to the Lichens, which, indeed, are 

 included under this order by some botanists ; 

 but the existence of green colouring-matter 

 in the cells, and of gonidia or brood-cells, in 

 the Lichens, forbids such an association. 

 The Ascomycetes differ much in external 

 form, and approach in this particular several 

 tribes belonging to the other orders : thus 

 the Tuberacei are very much like many of 

 the Gasteromycetes, the Helvellacei like 



Fig. 39. 



Fig. 40. 



Spathulea flavida. 



Fig. 39. Entire plant (reduced). 



Fig. 40. Highly magnified section of fructification, 

 showing asci andparaphyses arising from the hymenium. 



some Hymenomycetes, &c., differing chiefly 

 in the mode of the production of the sporidia 

 (figs. 39-42). 



Fig. 41. 



Fig. 42. 



Leotia geoglossoides. 



Fig. 41. Group of plants (reduced). 

 Fig. 42. Highly magnified asci with 



ith spores. 



The Onygenei are little Fungi growing on 

 dead animal substances, feathers, horn, c., 



