164 



MORPHOLOGY. 



the soil at the bottom of the pool, and as gas becomes entangled in the mat 

 of threads, it is lifted from the bottom and floated to the surface of the water. 

 The plant is thread-like, and divided up into many short cells. The 

 threads often show an oscillating movement, whence the name Oscillator ia. 

 356. Family Nostocaceae. This family is represented by Nostoc, which 

 forms rounded, slimy, blue-green masses on 

 wet rocks. The individual plants in the 

 slimy ball resemble strings of beads, each 

 cell being rounded, and several of these ar- 

 ranged in chains as shown in fig. 170. Here 

 and there are often found larger cells (hetero- 

 cysts) in the chain. Nostoc punctiforme 

 lives in the intercellular spaces of the roots 

 of cycads (often found in greenhouses), and 

 in the stems of Gunnera. N. sphaericum 

 lives in the spaces between the cells in many 

 species of liverworts (in the genera Antho- 

 ceros, Blasia, Pellia, Aneura, Riccia, etc.), 

 and in the perforated cells of Sphagnum 

 acutifolium. Anabaena is another common 

 and widely distributed genus. The species 

 occur in fresh or salt water, singly or in slimy 

 Anabaena azollae lives endophyti- 

 cally in the leaves of the water fern, Azolla. 



Nostoc linckii. 



filament 



with two heterocysts (h), and a masses, 

 large number of spores (sp); 

 B, isolated spore beginning to 

 germinate; C, young filament 

 developed from spore. (After 

 Bornet.) 



Class Schizomycetes. 



357. Bacteriales. The bacteria are sometimes classified with the Cyano- 

 phyceae, under the name Schizophyta, and represent the subdivision Schiz- 

 omycetes, or fission fungi, because 

 many of them multiply by a divis- 

 ion of the cells just as the blue -green 

 algae do. For example, Bacillus 

 forms rods which increase in length 

 and divide into two rods, or it may 

 grow into a long thread of many 



short rods. Micrococcus consists F *- I ? 1 - 



, . , j j 11 04- Bacteria. A, Bacillus subtilis. Spores 



of single rounded cells. Strepto- in threadSi uns tained rods, and stained rods 



coccus forms chains of rounded showing cilia; B .Bacillus tetani, .the teta- 

 nus or lockjaw bacillus, round in garden 



cells, Sarcina forms irregular cubes soil and on old rusty nails. Spores in club- 

 , j j 11 u-i iU 1-1 shaped ends. C, Micrococcus; D, Sarcina; 



of rounded cells, while others like > streptococcus; F, Spirillum. (After 



Spirillum are spiral in form. Migula.) 



Bacillus subtilis may be obtained by making an infusion from hay and 



