282 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [NOVEMBER 
from ascogenous hyphae originating in the same procarp cells. 
More frequently, however, the hyphae passing from the procarps 
do not retain their staining qualities sufficiently long to make it 
possible to follow them to the hymenium, especially when they are 
much branched or when they follow a devious route. The cells of 
the ascogenous hyphae are multinucleate, and the nuclei appear to 
be paired (fig. 45). 
McCussin, who described bodies in the ascoma of Helvella 
elastica which bear considerable resemblance to those at present 
under discussion, took the view that they are merely storage organs. 
In addition to ascogenous hyphae McCussin claims to have found 
paraphyses arising from these so-called storage cells. Judging 
from his figures, however, the paraphyses arising in this manner are 
so far from typical that it may be questioned whether they are 
actually paraphyses. Since the ‘‘storage bodies” of Helvella re- 
semble the procarps of Spathularia in being multinucleate, in having 
the nuclei arranged in pairs, and in producing ascogenous hyphae, 
it would seem to the writer that they might also be interpreted as 
sex organs. FitzPaTRICK (15) has already expressed this opinion. 
He states that “‘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 ascogenous hyphae.’”’ The ascogenous hyphae of 
Spathularia behave as in the case of Cudonia in the evolution of 
asci. The description given for the latter form may be taken to 
include them both. 
LEOTIA LUBRICA 
According to Dirrricn, the fertile threads of Leotia lubrica are 
differentiated from vegetative hyphae at an early stage in the history 
of the ascocarp. While they do not appear to be easily traced in 
intermediate stages, they become conspicuous again as maturity 
approaches, this time in the cap, where, lying just beneath the 
hymenium, they give rise to asci. Although Drrrricn does not 
figure the youngest stage in which they are visible, as he does in 
the case of Miirula phalloides, he says that these two forms are 
much the same in this regard. If so, the fertile hyphae appear at 
a very early stage, indeed, one almost comparable with the youngest 
Cudonia plants described in this paper. 
