272 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [NOVEMBER 
behind the apex. These conspicuous threads in the young Spath- 
ularia plant are also generative hyphae, for, as will shortly be seen, 
certain of their proliferations at a very much later stage are trans- 
formed into procarps. As the young ascocarp increases in size the 
pointed apex becomes broadened out, and the generative hyphae 
are distributed in an arch below it. This arch widens in concert 
with the gradual expansion of the apex into a somewhat globular 
cap, which as time goes on assumes the spatular shape character- 
istic of the mature plants of the genus (figs. 16, 17). 
The expansion of the apex into the cap is marked by the appear- 
ance of paraphyses. The paraphyses of Spathularia arise from 
vegetative hyphal threads, the end cells of which become somewhat 
club-shaped. Various students of other species, as MCCUBBIN (17) 
and Brown (4), have found paraphyses arising from specialized 
storage cells. This does not occur here, the cells from which the 
paraphyses arise being insufficiently differentiated to be regarded as 
storage bodies. In form, septation, and nucleation the paraphyses 
of Spathularia resemble those of Cudonia. 
While the paraphyses are still young, procarps become evident 
for the first time. They are scattered about in irregular fashion 
through those portions of the cap containing the generative hyphae, 
and are complexes conspicuous for their size and staining qualities 
(figs. 19-21, 43-45). An examination of all stages after this until 
the veil is shed and spores are being cast reveals their presence 
continuously. They yary in shape; some appear as coiled struc- 
tures, some are immensely swollen, and others take the form of 
chains of cells. These bodies arise from the generative hyphae 
just as was the case in Cudonia, and from them ascogenous hyphae 
proceed directly to the hymenium, where in turn they may be seen 
giving rise toasci. Further growth results, as in the case of Cudonia, 
in the introduction of no new tissues or organs, but in the mere 
expansion of the ascocarp. The hymenium reaches a fairly well 
advanced state of maturity before the veil bursts. The observa- 
tions of the writer have not established any regularity in the method 
of rupture, but Duranp states that “‘the veil seems to rupture by 
a crack running around the plant just above the stem,” and exhibits 
photographs which illustrate his point. 
