1 68 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF FUNGI 



It must be borne in mind that paraphyses are developed first, 

 and afterwards the asci ; that the paraphyses are often septate, 

 whilst asci are not ; and that they seem to possess functions 

 of their own. Another theory is that the paraphyses are 

 sometimes, if not always, styles or peduncles surmounted by 

 conidia — that is to say, that they are conidiophores. The 

 hymenium of Tympanis ligustri has been seen bearing normal 

 asci and paraphyses, but amongst the paraphyses other and 

 shorter ones, surmounted by brown uniseptate conidia, one to 

 each filament. The inference that therefore paraphyses are 

 conidiophores cannot be maintained on such a basis without 

 stronger corroborative evidence. 



Paraphyses are more highly developed in the Discomyceteae 

 than in any other of the Ascornyceteae, and the following forms 

 have been indicated — i.e. Linear paraphyses, which are the 

 simplest form. They consist of a slender cylindrical cell of 

 equal thickness throughout. Sometimes they but little exceed 

 the asci in length, and then remain perfectly straight, but 

 when considerably exceeding the asci the tips are often more or 

 less curved as soon as they are set free, so that the retractile 

 tendency can exhibit itself. Such paraphyses are usually 

 colourless and without evident contents, but at times a row 

 of nuclei exhibit themselves, or the threads become septate. 

 These may be free of each other, or they may be agglutinated 

 together by hymenial gelatine. 



Glavate paraphyses are those which expand in their upper 

 portion into a more or less club-shape. Sometimes the expan- 

 sion is very gradual, occupying the upper half of the para- ' 

 physes ; at others it is more abrupt, and at least three-fourths 

 of the paraphysis remains linear. Gradually this form merges 

 into the capitate form, and usually the thickened apex is filled 

 with a granular plasma. 



Capitate paraphyses are those in which the apex is 

 suddenly expanded into a pyriform, oboyate, or subglobose 

 head. This knob contains at times a single large globose 

 guttule, perhaps an oil-drop ; at others it contains a granular 

 protoplasm. The colouring of the upper portion of the para- 

 physes may be due to the coloured contents, but in some 

 instances it is caused by the coloured investing gelatine. 



