v3 
Bate 
s er 
160 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [Aucusr 
x 
of the recurved tips of these ascogenous hyphae. The ascus contains two nuclei, 
which fuse, and this fusion nucleus divides by a triple division to form the eight — 
nuclei of the ascospores. The two ascus nuclei are looked upon as male and female, — 
and their fusion completes the union of the gametes which initiated the develop- 4 
ment of the perithecium. The method of spore formation was not made out. a 
The ascus walls finally degenerate, leaving the spores free in the perithecium. _ 
From his studies Scurkorra concludes that Monascus is a true ascomycete, — 
belonging to the family Aspergillaceae, in the order Plectascineae. It is placed 4 
here on account of the similarity of its perithecium to that of Penicillium and ¥ 
Aspergillus. ¢ 
The presence of a true sexual process in the Ascomycetes has been estab- 
lished beyond a doubt in a considerable number of forms. ‘The investigations 4g 
of several species have shown, however, that a normal sexual process is not o5 
be expected in all. The apparent absence of any nuclear fusion in the fertili ' 
oogonium, although the sexual nuclei become arranged in pairs, brings Monascus ~ 
into harmony with CLAussEN’s results on Pyronema, in which nuclear fusion is 
claimed to occur only in the ascus, a sort of modified sexual process, therefore, 
being present. Realizing how difficult it is observe nuclear fusion in the oogonium, 
S contention that there is a tendency in the Ascomycetes to form a 5% 
karyophyte analogous to that of the Basidiomycetes.—J. B. OVERTON. 
gases in these plants; but it is impossible to interpret KoLToNnskKI’s results. ‘ 
presents them, indeed, as only a starting-point for further investigations- 
C.R.B. 
§ Kortonsxt, A., Ueber den Einfluss der elektrischen Stréme auf die Ko 
sdureassimilation der Wasserpflanzen. Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 23: 204-271. SS: 
1909 
9 THOUVENIN, M., De l’influence des courants électriques continus sur la —_ 
position de l'acide carbonique chez les végétaux aquatiques. Rev. Gén. Bot. 8:435° 
806. ee 
450. I 
