MOLDS 



57 



spores when mature, liquefy gelatin, and produce a strong character- 

 istic odor (Fig. 39) . Microscopically the species is recognized by dichoto- 

 mous branching of the hyphae at the margin of the colonies, and by 

 the spores or oidia which are abruptly cylindrical, var3dng with condi- 

 tions in length and diameter and produced both above and below the 

 svurface of the substratum in long chains which break up readily. At 

 tirries the whole mycelium appears to break up into oidia. Oidium 

 lactis is a factor in the ripening of many kinds of cheese: Limburg, 

 Harz, Camembert, Gorgonzola, etc. Its activity is associated with 

 strong odor and taste. 



MoNiLiA. — Monilia Candida (Bonorden), Hansen. The line be- 

 tween the Mycoderma group of yeasts, Oidium and Monilia, and the 



pje. j{j. A colony of Monilia Candida. {Photographed by Z. Northrup,) 



well-fixed mold types shows a number of organisms which are found 

 repeatedly in the fermentation industries (Fig. 40). One of these, 

 Monilia Candida, as described by Hansen, has been much studied. In 

 morphology, Monilia Candida appears as a yeast in young cultures in 

 sugary fluids, but later develops a mycelium. It produces an alcoholic 

 fermentation which increases in vigor with the rise of temperature 



toward 40°. 



Dematium. — One species of Dematium, Dematium, pullulans, has 

 been much studied. This is frequently found within decaying fruit as 

 dark brown colonies. In culture, mycelium is sparingly produced, 

 either colorless or colored, and conidia are borne in clusters and chains 



