CHAPTER XIX 

 LIFE HISTORIES OF FUNGI 



247. The Groups of Ftingi. — We are all more or less 

 familiar with fungi, as represented by the common 

 molds, mildews, toadstools, and mushrooms. They 

 are all plants without chlorophyll, and are therefore 

 dependent upon green plants for their nourishment. 

 The Greek word for fungi is mycetes, and this word 

 terminates the names of the various groups, as follows: 



1. Phycomycetes, alga-Hke fungi; so-called 

 because they closely resemble certain 

 algae, except for the lack of chlorophyll. 



2. Ascomycetes, sac-fungi; so-called because 

 their asexual spores are formed in tiny 

 sacs (asci) 



3. Basidiomycetes, with spores borne on 

 little club-shaped hy^Yidd, or basidia. In- 

 clude the smuts, rusts, and mushrooms. 



AN ALGA-LIKE FUNGUS (RHIZOPUS) 



248. Habitat. — Everyone is acquainted with "bread 

 mold," a plant without chlorophyll, and having a fila- 

 mentous plant body. There are many kinds of fila- 

 mentous fungi, more or less closely related to Rhizopus, 

 and growing on various substances or "substrata." 

 They all agree in at least three points: (i) they are always 

 filamentous; (2) they never possess chlorophyll; (3) they 

 always grow on some organic substratum. The sub- 



256 



