﻿1 9 03 J NORTH AMERICAN HYPHOMYCETES 155 



Gymnoascus, is thus a remarkable combination of two elements 

 of independent origin. The conspicuous portion, which forms 

 the main bulk of the head, consists of sterile elements derived 

 from sterile hyphae in the mycelium, whose development runs 

 parallel to that of the fertile hypha and whose function is 

 evidently connected with spore dispersion. At maturity the 

 bristles and other sterile elements of the head become echinu- 

 late through a more or less copious deposit (of calcic oxalate?) 

 and adhere very readily to any object which touches them; 

 while at the same time the whole head separates at a touch from 

 Its attachment to the stalk, carrying with it the mass of spores 

 which, though not involved in mucus, are nevertheless adherent 

 m a more or less compact mass. The successively abjointed 

 spores do not appear to remain united in chains, though two or 

 three may often be seen thus adherent, and, judging from the 

 dense contents of the compacted and firmly adherent sporogen- 

 ous branches, it seems not improbable that they may con- 

 tmue to be abjointed even after the head has become separated 

 from the stalk which bears it. 



The spores germinate readily, and the fungus fruits abun- 

 dantly on nutrient agar of various kinds, the fructifications being 

 usually more or less gregarious, often so much so that adjacent 

 heads adhere to one another over a considerable area and may 

 be lifted in a continuous mat. 



Although this fungus has been under cultivation for twelve 

 years on various substrata, and under varied conditions, no ascig- 

 erous fructification has as yet made its appearance. That it 

 belongs among the Plectascineae nevertheless, and that an ascig- 

 erous condition of this nature will eventually be found, can 

 hardly be doubted. The same fungus has been received from 

 another source within the past year, having fruited spontaneously 

 in transit, on some goat's dung, in a vial hermetically sealed with 

 wax, which was sent to my assistant, Mr. A. F. Blakeslee, from 

 the Philippine Islands. It may thus be assumed that the plant 

 has a wide distribution in the tropics from its independent occur- 

 rence in antipodal regions. 



The second form, which I have called Cephaliophora.mzdc its 



