A New Fungus. By O. Massee. 843 



taining one or more nucleoli is present in the semi-transparent fine 

 grained protoplasm, which is cut off from the basal cell by a septum ; 

 when fully developed the nucleus disappears, and the poUinodium 

 contains numerous minute granules, floating in a transparent fluid 

 and undergoing active molecular movements ; eventually the cell- 

 wall at the apex of the poUinodium is absorbed, when the contents 

 escape and adhere to the surface of the carpogonium. Contact 

 with the substance contained in the poUinodium stimulates the 

 carpogonium to further growth; the vacuoles disappear from its 

 protoplasm, from two to five papillae appear on its surface near the 

 apes, which grow for some time as slender tubes, then widen and 

 develop into cylindrical asci, into which the protoplasm from the 

 carpogonium passes and becomes resolved into eight sporidia by 

 free cell formation. Not unfrequently the slender tubes branch and 

 give origin to two asci. 



The value of the plant above described does not consist so much 

 in the fact of its being a new species added to the already volumi- 

 nous hst of fungi, as to the suggestions it offers relating to the func- 

 tions of analogous organs met with in the higher fungi, where owing 

 to the difficulty with which the spores germinate under artificial 

 conditions, and complications of structure, the life-history cannot 

 be satisfactorily traced. The carpogonium differs from that of 

 other Ascomycetes in remaining unicellular, and in giving origin 

 to slender spicules which are terminated by the asci, calHng to 

 mind the basidium with its sterigmata in the Basidiomycetes. 

 The points of agreement between the poUinodium and certain 

 structures met with in the hymen ium of Hymenomycetal fungi, 

 known as cystidia, are yet more evident ; both are terminal cells of 

 large size, which during development contain a well-marked 

 nucleus ; the contents, at first homogeneous, become resolved into 

 minute granules floating in a mucilaginous fluid, which finally 

 escapes through an opening at the apex, and comes in contact with 

 the spore-producing organ. The difficulties attending the practical 

 demonstration of the functions of cystidia will not probably be 

 overcome, but their close morphological agreement with organs, 

 respecting the functions of which no doubt can be entertained, 

 offers strong presumptive evidence of the same physiological 

 function being common to both; this view respecting the nature 

 of cystidia has already been entertained by Hoffmann,* who called 

 them poIUnaria, without, however, giving any evidence in support 

 of his conclusion ; the same may be said of Corda, who termed 

 them iwllinaires. 



♦ " Die Pollinarien und Spermaticn von Agaricus." Bot. Ztg., Feb. and March 

 1856. 



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