CONIOMYCETES. 



[ 203 ] 



CONIOMYCETES. 



globose yellow powdery stipitate head-like 

 apothecia, and colourless spores. 



5 European, 3 British species. 



BIBL. Leighton, Lich. JFl. G. B. 45. 



CONIOMYCE'TES. A section of Fungi 

 composed of microscopic forms, for the most 

 part parasitical upon plants, growing beneath 

 the epidermis, or overgrowing decaying ve- 

 getables, and then more or less imbedded in 

 the matrix. The fructification consists of 

 groups of sessile or stalked spores (sporidia, 

 Fries, and stylospores, Tulasne) arising from 

 the filamentous mycelium. In the simplest 

 forms the mycelium consists of short fila- 

 ments, which are more or less completely 

 converted into spores ; or it forms an irre- 

 gular flocculent patch in decaying matter or 

 under the epidermis of plants, in which the 

 spores are found intermingled, breaking out 

 on the surface of the epidermis in the para- 

 sites j but in the more complete forms the 

 mycelium becomes organized into firm struc- 

 tures of definite form (conceptacles) which 

 are hollow, the walls being lined with short 

 filaments terminating in spores. These 

 conceptacles are either produced on the sur- 

 face of the epidermis of the plant infested, 

 or they are formed internally, and are ex- 

 posed by breaking their way through to the 

 surface of the epidermal structures in which 

 they are imbedded. 



We must not omit, in giving a description 

 of this order as it stands in systematic works, 

 to notice that recent observations go to 

 prove that it rests upon a very insecure 

 basis, and that certain supposed genera be- 

 longing to it appear to be merely forms of 

 genera which exhibit at other stages of 

 growth, or even at the same time, asciferous 

 structures which have formed the bases of 

 Ascomycetous genera. The following is a 

 summary of the views of Tulasne on these 

 points : The Hypoxylous Fungi possess 

 at least four distinct kinds of organs of re- 

 production, among which the conidia hold 

 the first rank ; these are bodies of various 

 forms arising directly from the mycelium, 

 or from the stroma which is formed upon 

 this. Conidiiferous forms of Sphaeriacei, 

 which have been regarded as autonomous 

 Fungi, have given origin to the f oh 1 owing- 

 genera of this order: Melanconium, Stilbo- 

 spora, Steganosporium, Coryneum, Exospo- 

 riiim, Cylindrosporium, Macrosporium, Ver- 

 micularia, Mystrosporium, Cladosporium, 

 Helminthosporium, Periconium, Polythrin- 

 cium, Tubercularia, Stilbum, Atractium, Gra- 

 phium. The stylospores are the naked and 



primitive stipitate spores formed in the con- 

 ceptacles, called by Tulasne pycnidia ; he 

 regards as pycnidial forms of Sphseriacei 

 most of the species of the genera Diplodia, 

 Sporocadus, Sphecropsis, Hendersonia, M^xo- 

 cycluSj Phyttosticta, Phoma, and their allies. 

 These forms almost always occur united 

 with the perfect or Ascomycetous forms to 

 which they are to be referred. A third 

 kind of acrogenous bodies occur often in the 

 same conceptacles as the stylospores, but 

 are much smaller, ordinarily of linear form, 

 and are usually confounded ultimately into 

 a gelatinous mass ; these are the spermatw, 

 which are supposed to exercise a fertilizing 

 influence. The genera Cytispora, Nema- 

 spora, LiberteUa, Septoria, Cheilaria, Lepto- 

 thyrium, &c., are chiefly based on the sper- 

 mogonous apparatus of Sphoeriacei. The 

 fourth form of spore is found enclosed in 

 asci ; the presence of these ascospores forms 

 the basis of the class Ascomycetes. Further 

 details are given under the heads of the 

 families, and genera there referred to. 



The Uredinei exhibit similar polymorph- 

 ism ; ^ since the genera there included, such 

 as ALcidium, Puccinia, based upon the most 

 perfect form of fruit, mostly exhibit also 

 a stylosporous form (on which is founded 

 the false genus Uredo), together with sper- 

 mogonia containing spermatia. 



Synopsis of the Families. 



PHEAGMOTRICHACEJE. Conceptacles 

 horny, breaking through the epidermis of 

 leaves, &c., at first closed, afterwards burst- 

 ing _ longitudinally j spores septate, and in 

 chain-like series, intermixed with para- 

 physes on the internal walls of the con- 

 ceptacles, 



TORULACEI. Mycelium filamentous, 

 growing on the surface of decayed vegeta- 

 bles, bearing erect filaments, terminating in 

 rows of simple or compound spores. 



UBEDINEI. Mycelium a filamentous 

 mass growing in the interior of living vege- 

 table structures, finally breaking out on the 

 surface in patches, margined or naked, and 

 bearing simple or compound spores, single 

 or in beaded series. 



USTILAGINEI. Mycelium filamentous, 

 growing in the interior of organs of plants, 

 producing simple or septate spores, finally 

 breaking up, without bursting through to 

 the surface, so as to leave a cavity full of 

 dust-like spores. 



BIBL. Berkeley and Broome, Hooker's 



