120 THE FLOEA OF NEBEASKA. 



The Coleochaeteae are related to the Oedogoniaceae on the one hand and to the Flori- 

 deae on the other. It is possible also that the origin of the great groups of the higher 

 fungi is to be found in some such group as this. The nature and significance of the proc- 

 ess of the formation of the sporocarp of the higher fungi has been a fruitful cause of 

 discussion, and it has been commonly thought of late that it had no relation to the car- 

 pospore of the Coleochaeteae, or to the oospore of the Phycophytes, but was rather homol- 

 ogous to the asexual spore-formation of the lower fungi. But the Laboulbeniaceae, 

 which according to recent investigation exhibit asexual reproduction of the same type 

 as the Coleochaeteae and Florideae, indicate that this view is erroneous and that the 

 origin of the higher fungi is to be sought in about the same place as that of the last 

 named groups. 



There is but oue order and family: 



Order 7.-COEEOCHAETACEAE. 



Family.— COLEOCHAETACEAE. 



The characters of the class. There is but one genus. A second one — Chuetopeltis- 

 is thought by some to belong here also. It is distinguished from Coleochaete by the 

 production of 2-4-8 swarm-spores in each spore mother-cell instead of a single one as in 

 Coleochaete. 



1. COLEOCHAETE Breb. Ann. Sc. Nat. Bot. 3, I., 29. 1844. 

 The characters of the family. 

 Etymology: Greek Ko/ieog, sheath, and x aiT 1, hair. 



Coleochaete irregularis Pringsh. Jahrb II, 1-38, taf. 1-6. 18G0. 



Irregularly branched, cells 4 to 5-angled, 10-20 fi broad, usually 8-10 ft long 

 or sometimes twice as long as wide; carpogones 40-60 « in diam. 



Grows in more or less extended irregular sheets closely adhering to the sub- 

 stratum. The cortication around the carpospore is sometimes only par- 

 tially developed. 



On Lemna and Chara spp. from Cherry county, and on Nitella from Minden. 

 PI. XXIIL, Fig. 3, xlOO. 



Coleochaete scntata Breb. 1. c. t. II. 



Thallus flat, bright green, .5-2mm. in diam., made up of dichotomously 

 branched filaments united in a more or less lobed orbicular disc; cells 

 thick-walled, 4-5-angled or rounded, 13-17 /j. wide, 10-40 fi long; carpospore 

 subglobose, 85-100 /j, in diam. 



Extremely variable as to size and shape. 



On Chara from Cherry county. Plate XXIII., Fig. 1. xlOO. 



Coleochaete orbicularis Pringsh. 1. c. 



Thallus like that of C. scutata, but regularly orbicular, not lobed, .5-2 mm. 



in diam., cells usually isodiametric, 10-17 /u; fruit as in C. scutata, but not 



so often found as in that species. 

 On Lemna and Chara, Cherry county, and on Chara, Minden. PI. XXIIL 



Fig. 2. xlOO. 

 This species is probably only a variety of C. scutata. 



