184 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [MARCH 
development they are thickly beset with numerous small rounded 
wart-like protuberances, and also short secondary branches of a 
smaller diameter than the primary hyphe (jg. 8,6). At this 
stage, also, numerous oblong cells are developed from the fertile 
hyphe which give to the gleba a characteristic appearance. 
These cells (fig. § a), which are at first globose, but at maturity 
become slightly oblong, are found borne upon the primary 
hyphe, either laterally or terminally, in the center of a cluster 
of secondary branches which grow up around them. At matu- 
rity they are easily detached and may be seen isolated and scat- 
tered in all directions in the gleba as spore-like bodies measuring 
from 4—-7X7-II. It is probable that these are the cells to 
which Fischer (1884) refers as occurring between the hyphe of 
the gleba. On the further development of the gleba these cells 
entirely disappear through absorption, while the secondary 
branches which surround them develop into hyphez bearing the 
basidia. Before this takes place, however, the spore sac, with 
the exception of a small area at the apex, becomes separated 
from the endoperidium, thus greatly reducing the surface upon 
which the gleba can draw for nutriment. The fact that the 
oblong cells disappear soon after this separation takes place may 
perhaps indicate that their function is to serve as reservoirs of 
food for the later stages of the other elements of the gleba. 
As has just been stated, after the disappearance of the 
oblong cells above described, the secondary hyphe are found to 
have developed considerably, and at the ends of their numerous 
branches the basidia are borne. These hyphz have by this time 
increased to the diameter of the primary hyphae, and like them 
are beset with numerous wart-like protuberances. The basidia 
(fig. 9) are usually club shaped, but vary widely; oftentimes 
being very nearly cylindrical and of the same diameter as the 
hyphz which bear them, and from which they are separated by 
a transverse septum. The spores, which at first are subglobose 
and later become ellipsoid and punctate, are borne laterally as 
well as terminally; being more or less evenly distributed over _ 
the whole surface of the en ee in Palos: The aumbet 
