1918] FITZPATRICK—RHIZINA 203 
of 3 or 4 connected cells. By the time the asci are mature they are 
usually empty, their connections have disappeared, and their walls 
have collapsed. McCuBsIn states that these structures in some 
instances give rise to palisade hyphae and paraphyses, while at other 
times they are found ‘“‘having the ascogenous hyphae proceeding 
directly from them.”” They contain nuclei varying in number from 
I to 20 or more, a conspicuous feature being the frequent arrange- 
ment of these nuclei in pairs. McCuBBIN gives a number of illus- 
trations showing the variation in size and shape of these structures 
and demonstrating clearly the paired condition of the nuclei. 
Several significant facts would seem to indicate that at least part 
of these “storage bodies” constitute some type of sexual apparatus, 
particularly the statement that they are sometimes found giving 
rise to the ascogenous hyphae. 
FAULL (26) discusses the method of origin of the asci from the 
ascogenous hyphae in a considerable number of species representa- 
tive of various genera of the Helvellales. He has not investigated 
the sexual process, however, or described sexual organs in any 
of the forms studied. 
In so far as the writer is aware, no other papers of importance 
bearing on the sexual process in the Helvellales have appeared. 
In no member of this group is our knowledge more than frag- 
mentary; in fact it cannot be stated with certainty that any worker 
has seen the sexual organs in any species of the order. The family 
Rhizinaceae has received no attention whatever from the standpoint 
of cytology. As representative of this family, Rhizina undulata 
Fries, is especially suitable for investigation. It is the type of the 
genus and the family, and probably the most widely distributed 
and best known member of the group. 
Materials and methods 
In the summer of 1914 the writer collected a considerable num- 
ber of apothecia of Rhizina undulata in a small pine wood north of 
Beebe Lake near the Cornell University Campus at Ithaca, New 
York. Fruit-bodies of practically all stages of development were 
obtained. The youngest stages, including undifferentiated pri- 
mordia, were studied, and the results of the investigation were 
