MUCOR. 



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to different mycelia. Rh. nigricans occurs on a great variety 

 of juicy fruits, causing them to decay, and thus working 

 considerable havoc. Behrens has shown that the damage is 

 caused through the secretion by the fungus of a poisonous 

 substance, which kills the fruit cells. It is also of frequent 

 occurrence on malt. 



Fig. 38. Rhizopus nigrican (after Brefeld). a. End of a runner or stolon ; t, sporangiophore ; 

 *, sporangium ; e, columella ; A, root-like hyphw or rhizoids. 



A similar species, Rh. Oryzce (Chlamydomucor Oryzce) was r 

 discovered on Javan rice cakes by Went and Prinsen Geerligs. 

 On account of its power of dissolving starch, it is employed in 

 the preparation of arrack from rice. It produces large numbers 

 of gemmae. A specially interesting form is Rh. japonicus, 

 which, like M. Rouxii, is applied industrially for the conversion 

 of starch, especially of maize starch, into sugar. It was 

 isolated by Boidin in 1900 from Japanese koji, and, like the 

 species discovered by Calmette, was called Amylomyces (/3) ; 



