MUCOK. 



[ 521 ] 



MUCOKINL 



ri merits we have made on this point have 

 hitherto given negative results. 



The species of Jfrucor described by authors 

 are pretty numerous; but we think consider- 

 able allowance for variation should always 

 be made in this genus. RHIZOPUS, Ehr. = 

 Mucor when distinctly stoloniferous. It 

 seems very doubtful whether HYDROPHORA 

 should be separated from Mucor. Conju- 

 gation takes place in one or two species. 



* Fertile filaments simple. 



M. Mucedo, L. (figs. 496, 497). Myce- 

 lium byssoid, peridiole and spores globose, 

 at first white, ultimately blackish. (This 

 includes Ascophora Mucedo, Tode.) Ex- 

 tremely common. Sowerby, Fungi, pi. 378. 

 fig. 6 ; Greville (Ascophora} ,'Cn/pt. Fl. pi. 269. 



M. caninus, Pers. Mycelium byssoid, 

 peridiole globose, ultimately yellow or fer- 

 ruginous ; spores globose or elliptic. Very 

 common on excrement of dogs and cats in 

 wet weather. Grev. Sc. Crypt. Fl. pi. 305. 



M . fusiger, Lk. Mycelium byssoid. Peri- 

 diole globose, ultimately black ; spores spin- 

 dle-shaped. On decaying fungi. 



M. clavatus, Lk. Mycelium byssoid. Cla- 

 vate apices of the fertile filaments simply 

 penetrating the globose peridiole ; spores 

 globose, at first white, then brown, at 

 length black. On rotten pears ; possibly 

 only a state of M. Mucedo or the following. 



M. amethysteus. Mycelium thick, white, 

 closely interwoven. Peridiole at first white, 

 then pale yellow, then crystalline and pure 

 violet, finally violet-black or brownish j 

 spores globose, filled with globose spori- 

 dioles (?). Fertile filament 1-40" high. 

 On rotten pears with the foregoing. 



M. delicatulus, Berk. Mycelium form- 

 ing a thin velvety stratum. Very minute ; 

 fertile filaments short ; peridioles globose, pale 

 yellow ; spores globose. On rotting gourds. 



M. succosus, Berk. Mycelium forming 

 small, pulvinate, yellow, spongy masses. 

 Peridiole very minute, globose, yellow, at 

 length olive ; columella minute. On dead 

 shoots of Aucuba. Berk. Ann. N. H. vi. 

 pi. 12. fig. 15. 



** Fertile filaments branched. 



M. ramosus, Bull. Mycelium woolly. 

 Fertile filaments racemose. Peridioles glo- 

 bose, yellow, then bluish-grey or reddish- 

 brown. On rotting fungi. Bulliard, pi. 480. 

 fig. 3. 



M. suUilissinms, Berk. Mycelium creep- 

 ing, filaments exceedingly slender. Fertile 



filaments branched, the short patent branches 

 each terminating in a globose peridiole ; 

 spores oblong, elliptical. A mildew of 

 onions. Berk. Hart. Jn. iii. 97. figs. 1-5. 



BIBL. Berk. Br. Flora, ii. pt. 2. 332; 

 Ann. N.H.vi. 433 ; Hort. Jn. iii. 91 ; Fries, 

 Summa Veg. 487 ; Syst. Myc. iii. 318 ; Fre- 

 senius, Beitr. z. Mycologie, heft i. 4, 1850 ; 

 v. Tieghem, Ann. Sc. N. 1875, i. 5 : Brefeld, 

 Flora, 1873. 



MUCORI'NL A family of microscopic 

 Phycomycetous Fungi, constituting the 

 moulds, &c. common on most decaying 

 vegetable and animal substances, consisting 

 of a filamentous mycelium, forming flocks 

 and clouds in or on decaying matters, bear- 

 ing vesicles, on erect pedicels or sessile, 

 filled with minute sporules, discharged by 

 the rupture of the vesicles (peridioles). 

 These plants correspond among the theca- 

 sporous Fungi to the Mucedines among the 

 acrosporous or free-spored orders. The 

 peridiole consists of the terminal cell of an 

 erect filament, enlarged like the head on a 

 pin, into a globular vesicle. At first the 

 cavity of this vesicle communicates with 

 that of the pedicel ; but a septum is soon 

 formed ; in some genera this septum is flat, 

 in others projecting into the interior of the 

 peridiole like the " punt" of a bottle, form- 

 ing a hemispherical or cylindrical columella. 

 While this columella rises in the peridiole, 

 the latter becomes filled with spores, form- 

 ing thus a polysporous sporange; and it 

 bursts to let them escape. 



The manner of bursting of the sporange 

 and the form of the central column vary 

 much, and afford generic characters. Thel- 

 actis presents a remarkable peculiarity : each 

 filament terminates in a sporange containing 

 a great number of spores, while at its base 

 it gives origin to whorls of branches, the 

 terminal cells of which remain sterile. 



Syzygites exhibits conjugation of its 

 branches, like that of the Zygnemaceze. 



Some observations of De Bary tend to 

 show that the genus Eurotium only repre- 

 sents certain conditions of Aspergillus. In 

 some cases the lower threads are enor- 

 mously developed, where, from excessive 

 moisture, the fruit cannot be produced. 

 Two different forms of fruit occasionally 

 occur in the same thread, as in Ascophora 

 elegans. 



Synopsis of British Genera. 

 Phycomyces. Peridiole pear-shaped, se- 

 parated from the apex of the erect pedicel 



