254 



PRACTICAL BOTANY 



may each shed spores at the rate of 1,000,000 per minute, 

 and may continue this for several days. Another puffball is 

 called the " earthstar " ( Geaster). It grows in sandy and waste 

 places. When its reproductive body is 

 mature the outer surface peels back from 

 the tip, thus exposing the central body, 

 which contains the spores. A closely 

 related form is the stinkhorn fungus 

 (Fig. 212). 



The nest fungi are peculiar puffballs 

 which grow within and upon rich earth, 

 well-decayed wood, old manure piles, etc. 

 The reproductive body opens, and re- 

 sembles a small cup or nest. Within the 

 nest are a few egg-like bodies (Fig. 213), 

 each of which contains a mass of spores. 



239. Summary of the 

 fungi. Because of their ex- 

 treme simplicity and their 

 close relation to the blue- 

 green algse the bacteria or 

 schizomycetes were treated 

 first in this series of classes. 

 Then in the chapter follow- 

 ing the algse the class of 



fungi called phycomycetes, FIG. 212. The stinkhorn fungus (Phallus) 

 which in many respects 

 resemble green algse, was 

 discussed. In this chapter 

 classes that are very unlike 

 algse the ascomycetes 

 and basidiomycetes and the 

 lichens are discussed. The bacteria are so simple in struc- 

 ture that they are generally regarded as the simplest living 

 organisms. They reproduce themselves almost wholly by vege- 

 tative processes, occasionally by simple resting spores. In their 



At its spore-forming period this has a very 

 foul odor, that attracts flies, which are said 

 to distribute the spores. When young the 

 whole hody is a whitish, egg-shaped mass. 

 From this there emerges the stalk, upon the 

 end of which is the spore-bearing crown. 

 One half natural size 



