60 



Excluded Species 

 Lcntinus caespitosns Berk. Hook. Lond. Jour. 6: 317. 1847. 



This seems to be a Clitocybe, probably the same as Clitocybe 

 monodclpha Morg. 

 Lentinus verrucosus (Kickx) Sacc. Syll. Fung. 5: 613. 1887. 



This is a Lenzites ; see Bull. Acad. Sci. Brux. 8 2 : 73. 1841 ; 

 also, Sacc. Syll. Fung. 9 : yS. 1891. 



New York Botanical Garden. 



EXPLOSIVE DISCHARGE OF ANTHEROZOIDS IN 

 CONOCEPHALUM 



By Cyrus A. King 



In June, 1902, Dr. George J. Peirce published in the Bulletin 

 of the Torrey Botanical Club some observations on the forcible 

 discharge of the antherozoids of Asterella Californica. 



He made the discovery in January, 1901, but in January, 

 1902, the subject was studied in more detail. He found that 

 antherozoids were forcibly ejected under natural conditions as 

 well as in the laboratory, and that in some cases they were 

 thrown to a vertical height of 14-20 cm. The expulsion was 

 found to be due to the increased turgidity of certain cells within 

 the antheridium and of others in the cushion below it. The 

 mutual pressure due to the increased turgidity in both regions 

 produced the rupture above, where there was no external pressure 

 on the antheridum. 



F. Cavers (Annals of Botany, January, 1903) has noticed the 

 expulsion of antherozoids also from Conocephalum conicum {Fega- 

 tella conicai). His observations were made first in the laboratory 

 and were confirmed later under natural conditions. He found 

 that the antherozoids were thrown to a height of more than two 

 inches and that the explosions were most frequent on moist, 

 sunny days and when exposed to direct sunlight. 



In March, 1901, the writer also observed the forcible expul- 

 sion of antherozoids from Conocephalum conicum. The material 

 was growing in an experiment room at Indiana University and 



