26 FUNGI. 



the basidia of the Tremellini were monosporous, whilst M. 

 Tulasne has demonstrated that they are habitually tetrasporous, 

 as in other of the Hymenomycetes. Although agreeing in this, 

 they differ in other features, especially in the globose form of 

 the basidia, mode of production of the spicules, and, finally, the 

 division of the basidia into two, three, or four cells by septa 

 which cut each other in their axis. This division precedes the 

 growth of the spicules. It is not rare to see these cells, formed 

 at the expense of an unilocular basidium, become partly isolated 

 from each other ; in certain cases they seem to have separated 

 very early, they then become larger than usual, and are grouped 

 on the same filament so as to represent a kind of buds. This 

 phenomenon usually takes place below the level of the fertile 

 cells, at a certain depth in the mucous tissue of the Tremella. 



Besides the reproductive system here described, Tulasne also 

 made known the existence of a series of filaments which produce 

 spermatia. These filaments are often scattered and confused 

 with those which produce the basidia, and not distinguishable 

 from them in size or any other apparent characteristic, except 

 the manner in which their extremities are branched in order to 

 produce the spermatia. At other times the spermatia-bearing 

 surface covers exclusively certain portions of the fungus, espe- 

 cially the inferior lobes, imparting thereto a very bright orange 

 colour, which is communicated by the layer of spermatia, 

 unmixed with spores. These spots retain their bright colour, 

 while the remainder of the plant becomes pale, or covered with 

 a white dust. The spermatia are very small, spherical, and 

 smooth, scarcely equalling '002 mm. They are sessile, some- 

 times solitary, sometimes three or four together, on the 

 slightly swollen extremities of certain filaments of the weft of 

 the fungus.* Tulasne found it impossible to make these cor- 

 puscles germinate, and in all essential particulars they agreed 

 with the spermatia found in ascomycetous fungi. 



In the genus Dacrymyces, the same observer found the structure 



* Tulasne, in "Ann. des Soi. Nat." (loo. cit.) six. pi. x. fig. 29. Tulasne, 

 " ITew Notes upon Tremellinous Fungi,'' in " Journ. Linn. Soe." vol. xiii. (1871), 

 p. 31. 



