240 



THE FUNGI 



masses of decaying matter. It is desirable that the term mold 

 should be restricted to fungi of this group. 



The bread mold (Rhizopus nigricans) illustrates well the 

 characters of the group. An extensive growth may always be 

 obtained on bread by placing it in air saturated with moisture, 

 as under a bell jar set in a dish of water. The vegetative body 

 consists of large branched filaments which generally appear 



FIG. 210. The mycelium of a mold (Mucor Mucedo) developed from 

 a single spore 



a, 6, and c, erect branches which are to bear the sporangia, showing three stages 

 of development. After Brefeld 



glistening white because they are covered with minute drops 

 of moisture. The individual filament of a fungus is called a 

 hypka (meaning a web), and a mass of hyphse is termed a 

 mycelium. The hyphse of the bread mold resemble the fila- 

 ments of Vaucheria (Sec. 228) in having no cross partitions, 

 the filaments being a single chamber from end to end, and 

 consequently a coenocyte (Sec. 229). The multinucleate proto- 

 plasm forms a layer under the wall of the hypha and contains 



