280 PART III. THE CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS. 



borne by the gametophyte, a conclusion which would equally apply to the 

 fficidium of the yEcidiomycetes. In both these groups, as in the Basidiomycetes, 

 the plant would still be the gametophyte, the sporophyte having entirely dis- 

 appeared as a necessary consequence of the complete sexual degeneration of 

 the gametophyte. 



The Fungi may be classified as follows : 



Sub-Class I. SCHIZOMYCETES: Body unicellular, or multi- 

 cellular and filamentous; no special spore- 

 bearing organs ; no sexual reproduction. 



Sub-Class II. MYXOMYCETES : Body a plasmodium; spores 

 formed in more or less well-developed spor- 

 angia ; zoospores ; no sexnal reproduction. 



Sub-Class III. PHYCOMYCETES : Body generally either uni- 

 cellular, or a ccenocytic unseptate mycelium ; 

 sexual reproduction general ; zoospores (or 

 zoogonidia) present in most orders. 



Section A. Zygomycetes : sexual process 

 isogamous ; product, a zygospore. 



Section B. Oomycetes : sexual process 

 oogamous ; product, an oospore. 



Sub-Class IV. ASCOMYCETES: Body usually an incompletely 

 septate mycelium ; sexual process carpoga 

 mous; the sporophyte is apparently repre 

 sented by the ascocarp. 



Sub-Class V. -<3CciJ>iOMYCETES : Body an incompletely septate 

 mycelium ; no sexual process ; the sporo 

 phyte is apparently the aecidium. 



Sub-Class VI. BASIDIOMYCETES : Body an incompletely sep 

 tate mycelium ; no sexual process ; the sporo- 

 phyte is unrepresented; compound gonidio- 

 phores are always formed. 

 Sub-Class I. SCHIZOMYCETES. These organisms are either uni- 

 cellular or mul tic ell ular ; most of the unicellular forms are very 

 minute. The cell consists of a mass of protoplasm, with a nucleus 

 surrounded by a cell-wall which consists in some cases of cellulose, 

 and in others of a proteid substance. In some cases the cells are 

 coloured red, green, blue, etc. : a starchy substance, turning blue 

 with iodine, is found in the cells of some forms (e.g. Bacillus 

 Amylobacter) . 



The forms presented are extremely various. The individuals 

 may be spherical, the Coccus-form (Fig. 196, a); or rod-shaped, the 



