i9i 7] * FITZPATRICK—RHIZINA UNDULATA 2S7 



The hymenium. — The hymenium at maturity contains 3 types 

 of structures: asci, paraphyses, and paraphysis-like structures 

 which the writer will designate as setae, since they arise far below 

 the hymenium, and are dark colored and thick-walled. The asci 

 are narrow, cylindrical to clavate, and 8-spored. The spores are 

 uniseriate, fusiform, hyaline, unicellular, and at maturity bigut- 

 tulate. The paraphyses are filamentous, unbranched, multi- 

 septate, hyaline, and at the apex distinctly clavate. The setae 

 are heavy-walled, brown, non-septate, unbranched tubes originating 

 far below the hymenium (fig. 11) and discharging a brown sticky 

 secrefion at their tips. This secretion flows over the surface of the 

 hymenium made up of the swollen tips of the paraphyses, and gives 

 a condition superficially resembling an epithecium. Hartig 

 (20, 21) states that it is impossible to procure a pure culture from 

 the spores of this fungus on account of the bacteria which swarm 

 in myriads in this glutinous secretion and find their way down 

 between the paraphyses. These bacteria induce a rapid decay of 



1 



the entire apothecium, and give to it in age a peculiar water-soaked, 

 brittle consistency. In fig. 13 a portion of the hymenium is shown 

 at a stage approximating maturity. The broad, deep-staining 

 tubes are the setae. Surrounding these are the paraphyses, and 

 pushing up from below may be seen the young, uninucleate asci. 

 The swollen tips of the paraphyses are obscured by the layer of 

 deep-staining glutinous material. 



Mycelium. — The mycelium of Rhizina undidata possesses more 

 than ordinary interest for the systematise It is described by 

 Hartig (21) as bearing clamp connections. He says: " Although 

 I have much diffidence in maintaining that this feature, which 

 otherwise is peculiar to the Hymenomycetes, is characteristic of. 

 this parasite, still I cannot doubt that these filaments with clamp 

 cells belong to it" The writer has given the mycelium careful 

 examination, and has been unable in his collections to find clamp 

 connections on hyphae certainly belonging to the fruit bodies of 

 Rhizina. He does not feel, however, that sufficient investigation 

 of this point has been carried on to enable him to state definitely 

 that they never occur. The mycelium develops profusely, and 

 covers the soil particles and small rootlets as a whitish, moldlike 



