CRTPTOCAMS 183 



(4) Reproduction toilh cimjiu/alidii,'^ in tlie Alg;e and other low 

 plants, is often associated witli exposure of the plant to adverse con- 

 ditions, sucli as the approach of winter or dronglit or the old age of 

 the plant. Ft seems to be a mode of reiuvigorating the species at the 

 moment when the production of a new plant is to be provided for. 

 It is clearly of the same nature as tlu' fertilization of tlie egg cell in 

 tile ovule of the Flowering Plants. 



lte[)roduction itilh cuiijiif/a/idii (se.riinl re/n-mluclinit) in the 'I'hallo- 

 phytes is of three types, as indicated above; viz., 1) zygos|)oric, 

 ■-') oosporic, 3) carposporic. An important system of classification of 

 botli AlgiB and Fungi (in wliicli essentially the same reproductive pro- 

 cesses occur as in Alga;) is founded upon these tj'pes. 



FUNGI 



438. Fungi may convenienlly be defined as Tliallo- 

 pliytes lacldng- cliloropliyll. In stvnetnre and life liaMt 

 many of tlieni clcsely resemble certain ^Vlga'. In some 

 in.stance.s the resemblance is so strilciiig tjiat we may witli 

 assurance regard tlie fungal forms, in these cases, as liaving 

 been derived from Alg\e, chhn'opliyll luiving been h:)st 

 througli tlie adoption of a parasitic or saprophytic mode 

 of life. Parallel cases in Flowering I'lants are famished 

 by the Dodder (a iiarasite, Fig. 32) and the Indian Pipe 

 (a sa|)ropliyte, § 51)). 



439. .Many id' the .species are, unicellular and very 

 minute. When (jf more than one cell, the plant body is 

 generally hlanientous. Even in the compiact, fleshy forms, 

 like the Toadstools, the solid structures are built up of 

 an immense numljer of e.ssentiall}' independent threads. 

 The vegetative filaments of Fungi are termed hyphce ; 

 and the plant body composed of hyplue (aside from special 

 spore-bearing parts) is the mijcelimn. 



440. The number of species of Fungi is very great, 

 and the types are extremely various. A few common 

 forms will be (b'scril)e(l in order, thereby, to present sev- 

 eral of the most important groups. 



1 The last two methods of reproduction are also termed the asi'xiial 

 and the se'/Aial modes, respectively. 



