TORULACEI. 



[ 774 ] 



TOEULACEI. 



it forms at first erect greenish tufts, which 

 afterwards become blackish, ramify and 

 form a black crust, the spores readily sepa- 

 rating. T. Sporendonema, a form growing 

 on decaying cheese, represents the Sporen- 

 donema casei of Desniazieres. T. Fumago 

 is now separated with other forms under 

 the genus CAPNODIUM. T. alternata also 

 is the type of the genus ALTEHNAHIA. 



BIBL. Berk. Sr. Fl. ii. pt. 2. 359 ; Ann. 

 N. H. i. 263, vi. 439 ; 2. v. 460, xiii. 460 ; 

 Fries, Syst. Myc. iii. 499 ; Sum. 'Veget. 505 ; 

 Fresenius, Beitr. z. Myc. Heft ii. 68, pi. 6. 

 fig. 55 ; Oorda, Ic. Fungorum. 



TORULA'CEI. A family of Coniomyce- 

 tous Fungi, forming moulds and mildews on 

 decaying vegetable substances, or acting as 

 ferments in decomposing vegetable and ani- 

 mal fluids. They are compound microscopic 



Fig. 757. 



Fig. 759. 



Fig. 757. Speira toruloides. Magnified 200 diameters. 

 Fig. 758. Gyrocerus ammonia. Magnified 200 diams. 

 Fig. 759. Trimmatostroma salicis. Magn. 200 diams. 



cylindrical or beaded filaments, simple or 

 ramified, the joints of which (all or part) 

 separate from each other to form the spores. 

 There is no definite receptacle here; the 

 mycelium grows as a cottony web over or 

 in the infected body, or forms clouds or 

 flocks in liquids. Much obscurity prevails 

 respecting the genera included below, and 

 it is indeed doubtful whether any of them 

 are independent productions. Some species 

 of Torula, such as T. cerevisice (the Yeast- 

 fungus), appear intimately connected with 

 certain Hyphomycetous genera, perhaps 



merely representing their conidiiferous forms 

 (see TOBULA). AcHORiOiSr, again, seems to 

 be merely the spermogonous form of a Peni- 

 cittium. Sporendonema is founded appa- 

 rently on imperfect observation ; S. muscce, 

 the true characters of which are given under 

 that head, has been renamed Empma ; and 

 its proper position is among the Saprolegnei ; 

 but it would appear to be referable to the 

 Mucorini. Dictyosporium, Speira, and Trim- 

 matostroma appear to consist merely of the 

 spores of some other genera; Gyrocerus 

 cannot be regarded as a perfect form ; and 

 indeed all the genera require a thorough 

 examination in a fresh state. 



Synopsis of Genera. 



Torula. Spores in beaded chains, simple, 

 readily separating, placed on a short con- 

 tinuous or septate pedicel (PI. 26. figs. 7 & 

 23). 



Bispora. Resembling the last, but the 

 spores uniseptate. 



Septonema. Resemblingthe preceding, but 

 having several transverse septa in the 

 spores. 



Alternaria. Resembling the preceding, 

 but with cellular spores connected by a 

 filiform isthmus. 



Sporidesmium. Spores in tufts, straight, 

 subclavate or fusiform, shortly stalked or 

 sessile, transversely septate or cellular. 



Tetraploa. Spores sessile, quadriseptate, 

 coherent in bundles of four, each spore 

 crowned with a bristle. 



Sporochisma. Filaments erect, simple, ex- 

 ternal membrane inarticulate, cell-contents 

 at length separating into spores, articulated 

 in fours, emerging. 



Coniothecium. Spores without septa, col- 

 lected in heaps, finally separating more or 

 less into a powder. 



Echinobotryum. Spores rounded-apicu- 

 late, collected in fascicles, attached on simple, 

 erect, annulated filaments. 



Spiloccea. Spores globose, simple, adhering 

 firmly together and to the matrix, forming 

 spots laid bare by the separation of the epi- 

 dermis of the subject infected. 



Sporendonema. Described as composed of 

 erect filaments, containing single rows of 

 spores in the interior. S. muscee (Empusa, 

 Colin) really consists of short, tufted, erect, 

 simple filaments, terminating in a bell- 

 shaped cell (spore or sporange ?), thrown off 

 with elasticity when mature. 



