BoTANICAL GAZETTE 
DECEMBER, 1895. 
Contributions from the Cryptogamic Laboratory of Har- 
vard University. X XIX. 
New or peculiar American Zygomycetes. I. Dispira. 
ROLAND THAXTER. 
WITH PLATE XXXIV. 
_ Among the many interesting forms studied by Van Tieghem 
in his classic ‘‘Etudes sur les Mucorinées” ! are several genera 
of doubtful affinities which this writer is inclined to consider 
hyphomycetous conditions of certain Ascomycetes. Of these, 
several named genera (Martensella, Coemansia, Kickxella) 
have been included in a family of Coemansiz, clearly dis- 
tinguished by their peculiarly differentiated sporophores and 
Spores, and must still be considered zucert@ sedis, although 
one of them has been not too definitely connected with an 
ascomycetous form. In addition to these, two nearly related 
genera are included in the same category, both parasitic on 
Species of Mucor and distinguished by producing fertile heads 
which recall in some respects those occurring in Aspergillus 
or Sterigmatocystis: the one, Dimargaris, characterized by 
an erect solitary fertile hypha, terminated by a large spheri- 
cal head from which arise compound sterigmata bearing spores 
in chains: the other, Dispira, producing also solitary erect 
fertile hyphze which become distally several times dichoto- 
mous, the branches spirally twisted in a characteristic fashion 
and bearing numerous fertile heads associated with sterile 
horn-like branches. 
Since the publication of Van Tieghem’s paper the writer is 
not aware that this or any other species of Dispira has been 
Observed. During the past spring, however, a package of 
rat dung was received by Mr. W. H. Rush, a student in the 
OME aE ae 
1 Annales des Sci. Nat. Bot. VI. 1: 153. 
36—Vol. XX.—No. 12. 
