CLASSIFICATION 



79 



characteristic form, suggesting the fructifications of the higher 

 Fungi, with which some of the forms were formerly united. They 

 produce spore^, somewhat like 

 those of the true Bacteria. The 



-. , n 



spores give rise to rod-shaped 

 cells which in time produce 

 the full-grown fructification. 

 Among the genera of Myxo- 

 bacteriacese are Chondromyces 

 (Fig. 54), Cystobacter, and 

 Myxococcus. 



CLASS II. SCHIZOPHYCESE 



The Schizophyceae (also called 

 Syanophyeeae, Myxophyceae) 

 possess chlorophyll, in which 

 respect they differ from all but 

 a very few of the Bacteria. 

 The Sulphur Bacteria are in 

 their structure more like the 

 Schizophycese than like the true 

 Bacteria, and may be considered FlG - ** ~ Chondromyces apiculata, one of 

 . , the Myxobacteria. A, young, B, mature 



to Connect the two Classes Of fructification ; up, sporangia. C, in- 

 the Schizophytes. dividual cells, very much enlarged. 



Distribution. Like the Bac- (After THAXTER.) 

 teria, the Schizophycese are very widely distributed, and are adapted 

 to extremely varying conditions. While they are for the most part 

 aquatics, many of them grow on moist earth, or upon wood and rocks 

 in shady places. Like the Bacteria, also, many of them can endure 

 drying up for long periods without injury. They are abundant both 

 in fresh and salt water, and some of them are floating forms, and 

 may occur in enormous quantities in the open sea, or in lakes and 

 ponds. The red color of the surface water of parts of the Red Sea 

 owes its hue to enormous floating masses of one of these plants 

 Trichodesmium erythrceum, which also occurs in the Caribbean Sea 

 and other warm parts of the ocean. 



Schizophyceae are among the principal plants in hot springs, and, 

 like many Bacteria, they occur abundantly in water charged with 

 various mineral salts. Many of them, are pseudo-parasites ; i.e. they 

 grow associated with other plants, without, however, apparently doing 

 any harm to the host. Thus the little Water-fern, Azolla, has always 

 associated with it one of these forms, Anabcena Azollce, and species 

 of Nostoc are always found within the thallus of some Liverworts, 

 e.g. Anthoceros and Blasia. Among the Seed-plants, Cycas and 



