254 



PRACTICAL BOTANY 



may each shed spores at the rate of 1,000,000 per minute, 

 and may continue this for several days. Another puffball is 

 called the " earthstar " ( Geaster). It grows in sandy and waste 

 places. When its reproductive body is 

 mature the outer surface peels back from 

 the tip, thus exposing the central body, 

 which contains the spores. A closely 

 related form is the stinkhorn fungus 

 (Fig. 212). 



The nest fungi are peculiar puffballs 

 which grow within and upon rich earth, 

 well-decayed wood, old manure piles, etc. 

 The reproductive body opens, and re- 

 sembles a small cup or nest. Within the 

 nest are a few egg-like bodies (Fig. 213), 

 each of which contains a mass of spores. 



239. Summary of the 

 fuagi. Because of their ex- 

 treme simplicity and their 

 close relation to the blue- 

 green algae the bacteria or 

 schizomycetes were treated 

 first in this series of classes. 

 Then in the chapter follow- 

 ing the algee the class of 

 fungi called phycomycetes, 

 which in many respects 

 resemble green algse, was 

 discussed. In this chapter 

 classes that are very unlike 

 algse — the ascomycetes 

 and basidiomycetes and the 

 lichens — are discussed. The bacteria are so simple in struc- 

 ture that they are generally regarded as the simplest living 

 organisms. They reproduce themselves almost wliolly by vege- 

 tative processes, occasionally by simple resting spores. In their 



Fig. 212. The stinkhorn fungus (Phallus) 



At its spore-lorming period this has a very 

 foul odor, that attracts flies, which are said 

 to distribute the spores. When young the 

 ■whole body is a whitish, egg-shaped mass. 

 From this there emerges the stalk, upon the 

 end of which is the spore-bearing crown. 

 One half natural size 



