MUCOR STOLONIFER. 45 



The hyphse frequently branch and are inextricably entagled 

 with one another, but every hypha with its branches is quite 

 distinct from every r.ther one. If the section be a little too 

 thick and obscure, gentle tappiag on the cover glass over the 

 section will spread the parts, so that they may be more easily 

 seen. 



Note the aerial hyphse, with brushes ur branches, which be- 

 come constricted on their ends into a series of rounded spores 

 like a row of beads. These hyphse which bear the spores or 

 conidia' are called conidiaphores. The conidia form the loose 

 green powder characteristic of the mould. The spore is a 

 round, transparent sac enclosing a mass of protoplasm and is 

 in all essential respects similar to a torula. When sown in an 

 appropriate medium (Pasteur's solution) it germinates and 

 forms hyphse from several points, forming a new plant like the 

 original one (Fig. 30, d). 



Stain different sections with f uchsin, hsematoxylin and iodine 

 and note results. 



Besides Penicillium, usually other moulds will be found on 

 mouldy bread or other matters. The most prominent among 

 them will probably be Eurotium Aspergillus glaucus, which 

 may be distinguished from Penicillium by its higher growth, 

 less velvet-like appearance and the olive-green color of the 

 spores. The conidiaphores of Eurotium are about 1 / 16 inch 

 long, visible to the eye, and bear roundish white (unripe) or 

 pale-green heads closely packed. 



A pure growth of either of the fungi described above may be 

 obtained as follows: Place a few thoroughly boiled (and thus 

 sterilized) French plums on a sterile glass plate and infect them 

 with spores taken from as pure a patch of the mould as can be 

 found by a previously heated and cooled needle. Cover the 

 plate with a sterile bell glass and keep in a moderately warm 

 place. (The plate and bell glass may be sterilized by placing 

 them in an air-bath heated to 105 or 110 C. for one-half hour 

 or more). 



MUCOR STOLONIFER. 



This mould may be grown by keeping some bread very moist 

 and warm under a bell jar or by placing some moist Poke-root in 

 a bottle and closing. Mucor is similar to Penicillium in its 

 growth, consisting of a mycelium from which grow erect or 

 aerial hyphse, each one bearing a rounded, dark head or spore 

 case, looking like a pin head and called a sporangium. The 

 wall of the spore case is beset with minute asperities of oxalate 

 of lime, and inside the case are a great number of minute oval 

 bodies, the spores, held together by a transparent intermediate 

 substance. When ripe, the thin and brittle coat of the case 

 bursts at the slightest pressure, setting free the spores. A lit- 



