276 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [OCTOBER 
In the youngest specimens obtained, the archicarp consisted of 
a row of 7-9 cells, which had just become surrounded by vegetative 
hyphae. The ascogonium is the penultimate cell of the archi- 
carp, which when mature consists of about 9 cells (plate fig. 3). 
The ascogonium and all of the vegetative cells are multinucleate. 
In the youngest specimens the ascogonium was about one-third 
to one-fourth its size at maturity. There was observed neither at 
this time nor later any sign of an antheridium, and since in the 
young specimens the ascocarp consisted of only a few hyphae, it 
should have been plainly visible even if degenerated. It seems 
probable, therefore, that no antheridium is present. 
Before the ascogonium reaches its mature size, the walls of the 
vegetative hyphae on the outside of the young ascocarp become 
thickened, and these hyphae form the outer covering of the asco- 
carp (plate fig. 2). This covering undergoes no further growth, 
but remains at the base of the mature ascocarp and forms the first 
part of the cortex. The hyphae around the ascogonium remain 
active and give rise, over the ascogonium, to small hyphae which | 
grow out to form paraphyses (plate fig. 3). The same hyphae 
which give rise to the hyphae producing the paraphyses give off 
branches, around the region of the paraphyses, some of which grow 
up and add to the cortex, while others grow out and form setae. 
As the cells of the setae and cortex reach their mature size, they 
become greatly vacuolated and the outer walls increase greatly 
in thickness. When the setae are first formed, they are bent down 
toward the center of the top of the young ascocarp, and thus form 
a covering over the developing hymenium (plate fig. 4). When 
a part of the cortex is once formed, the development of that part 
ceases, and further additions are made only in the region between 
the paraphyses and the cortex. The hyphae here remain active 
and give rise on one side to paraphyses and on the other to setae 
and more of the cortex of the ascocarp. As this continues, the 
older setae are carried outward, and finally come to be on the lower 
surface of the ascocarp. The setae which are formed first are not 
as long as those which are formed later, so that the setae around 
the margin of the disk are longer than those on the under surface. 
As the hymenium increases in diameter, by the production of more 
