
60 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [JANUARY 
in the middle, however, having developed a germ tube only 
about ten times the diameter of the spore, while those on the 
margin were growing luxuriantly. Under pressure submerged 
spores do not germinate. 
Spores of Aspergillus flavus were also sown on a layer of agar 
beneath a considerable layer of the same material, the upper 
layer being poured on while the first was still soft. Germina- 
tion readily resulted. Also spores in flask cultures of ¢%, alcohol, 
submerged by shaking, germinated readily. 
SOME PECULIARITIES OF GERMINATION VERSUS GROWTH. 
The Hymenomycetes will doubtless form an interesting field 
for the study of germination relative to special stimuli. With 
studies which are yet merely preliminary I have secured only a 
single positive result of interest, but in many cases failures are 
likewise suggestive. 
Brefeld, in his Untersuchungen iiber Schimmelpilze (part III), 
records that spores of Gasteromycetes and of Phallus (p. 174) 
particularly, as well as other members of the fleshy fungi, do 
not germinate under any conditions tried. On the other hand, 
Coprinus stercorarius (p. 14), C. lagopus (p. 99), and C. ephemer- 
oides (p. 117) germinate well on any plant decoction, as likewise 
spores of Clavariae and Tremellinae(p. 181). Coprinus ephemerus 
(p. 109) is said to germinate once in perhaps ten trials. While 
I have not been able to germinate Coprinus comatus and Boletus 
sp., these forms have been studied only from fresh spores and from 
spores keptin the laboratory about two months. Coprinus fimeta- 
rius has given various small percentages of germination in different 
vegetable decoctions, but otherwise no germination. A species, 
which unfortunately was not determined while fresh, but later 
identified as Coprinus micaceus, has given little or no germination 
in all solutions containing no plant decoction. Inbeanand dung 
decoction the same material has furnished perfect germination. 
The question then of interest was to determine if there might 
exist in the bean decoction a substance stimulating germination 
but unnecessary for growth; in other words, if we may here 


