442 Miscellaneous. 



drical body as a continuation of its bearer. This basidiiform sup- 

 porter likewise grows, and a transverse septum is produced also in 

 it, which is sometimes followed in the lower part by a second. This 

 is a behaviour not yet observed in the true basidia (the seed mother 

 cells) of the Hymenomycetse, unless the Tremellaceae be excepted ; 

 but in these, again, the seeds have a totally different position, and 

 indeed it stUl remains to be proved that they are truly seeds — that 

 is to say, that these Tremellaceae are tridy fruits of Hymenomyceta?. 



This development of septa in the gonidia is not all, however ; 

 when they are left to their quiet and undisturbed development, new 

 pedicles are produced at the summit of the uppermost daughter 

 cells of each of these four gonidia ; and in these, again, a daughter 

 cell is formed, which grows into a cylindrical gonidium, resembling 

 the original gonidiiam, but more regularly elongated. These four 

 gonidia of the second order usually soon apply themselves to each 

 other again, and lengthen the column formed by their supporter. 

 From the summit of these secondary gonidia (gonidium mother 

 cells), similar gonidia then again sprout forth, which behave in the 

 same way, often subsequently, before germination and whilst still 

 connected with the parent organism, become chambered, but not un- 

 frequently remain simple, and in many cases do not lay themselves 

 together ; so that the chain-like connexion of each series may be 

 easily recognized. The development is not, however, completed by 

 the formation of this simple chain upon the original basidium, but 

 there is not unfrequently produced from the inferior gonidia, close 

 to the primary links of the chain, and either soon after their com- 

 plete development, or even before it, a second similar generation of 

 gonidia; so that each of these series of gonidia represents a branched, 

 and not a simple chain. 



If with this phenomenon, which is just as unprecedented in the 

 seeds of the Hymenomycetae as it is generally known in the goni- 

 dial forms, we consider the cameration of the so-called basidia and 

 the development of the entire plant beneath the epidermis of the 

 living plant on which it subsists, without the recognition of any 

 mother cell of the hymenium, such as I have demonstrated in the case 

 of Ccenogonium, and such as likewise exists, so far as I know, in the 

 ^cidiaceae, Hymenomycetae, and Ascomycetae, these developmental 

 phenomena certainly furnish no proof that this parasite belongs to 

 the Basidiomycetae ; but still less do they characterize this develop- 

 mental stage (which has been called Kvobasidium as the fruit and 

 its gonidia) as the seeds of a Hymenomjcetan. It cannot, therefore, 

 be referred to the Basidiomycetae unconditionally until further in- 

 vestigations have shown that it (probably as a gonidial form) reaUy 

 belongs to a Basidiomycetan. The same doubt, with regard to the 

 signification of the known organs of reproduction, which I have 

 here raised in the case of Exohasidium, applies also to Taphrina, F. 

 Tul. {Exoascus, Fuckel), which has, certainly with justice, been de- 

 scribed by Woronin as a developmental stage analogous to Exobasi- 

 dium. Both are to be regarded for the present as gonidial stages, 

 and placed among the Coniomycetae. — Communicated by the Author. 



