KIIIZOI'E.K 77 



investigattil \>\ W outmann (XIII.), The sporaiipiophoreH of 

 this Mucui'ii when {gently touched at the hide, ciu ve in Mich a 

 manner that the phiee touchecl aiihunies a concave form. This 

 phenoniemm is termed haptotroplsm. We are indebted! to 

 A. DK l>AUV (II.) for the e;irlie>t t'l)ser\iitiiin« on tlie rehitiou 

 between contact atti-action and the formation of ajtjiressoria in 

 fungi. The matter afterwards enpi«;ed tlie attention of M. 

 Blesoen (II.) — in tlie case of liutiytis ciiierea — and other.s. 



Ji/ii::i'/>us nii/riranx is the hest and longest known member 

 of tliis family. In 1818 it was described by Euhexuekg under 

 the name Muror Htolonihr, which is still ii.sed bv several 

 workeis ; and the .same authority afterwards conferred on it 

 the new appellation. This sajirophyte readily and almost 

 invariably infests vegetable substratii — e.y. fruit — when the 

 latter have been exposed to the air for some time in a damp 

 condition. The stolons often attjiin a length of 3 cm. : the 

 sporangiophores may grow to a height of 4 m.m. (Fig. 117). 

 The .sporangium is pure white at first, afterwards yellow, and 

 finally almost black. When rij>e, the membrane licjuefies on 

 coming in contact with water, and therefore cea.ses to be visible 

 in ordinary mici-oscopical {(reparations. In such case, beginners 

 generally mistake the large columella for the wall of the 

 sporangium. The spores are of varied form, mostly oval, and 

 their longitudinal measurement is 6 to 1 7 /i. 



The name lUtizojmf^ onjza: has been given by Went and 

 PiaxsEN CJeekligs (I.) to a fungus discovered by theui in Ragi 

 (241), the .sponxngia and spore of which organism axe con- 

 siderably snialler than those of li. niyriram. Nevertheless, 

 fluctuations in .size are met with in both cases, according to the 

 conditions of nutrition and deve]t)pment. This species was 

 examined by C Wkilmkii (XIV.), who failed, however, to find 

 any fundamentjil tlitVerence between the same and li. rtii/riconti ; 

 and it is therefore probably nothing more than a variety of this 

 last fungu.s. 



