52 DIVISION I.—GENERAL MORPHOLOGY, 
hyphae destined from the first for the particular structure. In small compound 
sporophores with an apex which continues narrow, being composed of only a few 
hyphae, like those of Typhula to be noticed presently, it may, though it need not 
necessarily, be assumed that such is the case. In the much more frequent cases in 
which the advancing apex or margin becomes constantly broader with uniform 
thickness and separation of its elements, new hyphal branches must be introduced 
one after another between the original ones, or take the place of them in sympodial 
succession. In long-lived species with periodical cessation of growth in the cold or dry 
season most of the extremities of the branches must die away, and be replaced when 
growth begins again by branches of deeper origin which thrust themselves between 
them. The position of the dead extremities or the portions of new growth limited by 
them may then be seen as zones in the older structure. 
The consideration of special phenomena of development is deferred to a later 
page for the reasons assigned above. But it will be well to give a more detailed 
description in this place of some examples at least of progressively growing compound 
sporophores, because this mode of growth is very general both in the different 
divisions of the Fungi and in sporophores of very different morphological value. 
The examples are for the most part those of the first edition of this book. 
1. The stalk-like compound sporophores of Typhulae which form sclerotia, 
Typhula variabilis especially, begin on the sclerotium as the bundle of firmly united 
parallel hyphae with their extremities curving dome-like towards each other, which 
was noticed above on page 38. The compound sporophore increases in length. The 
united extremities of the hyphae in the dome-shaped apex continue all the while 
very delicate and full of protoplasm, and comparatively small-celled. As the 
segments of the hyphae are further removed from the apex of the growing sporophore 
they increase steadily over a certain distance in length, breadth, and thickness, and 
the whole structure increases in compactness and firmness ; no further augmentation 
takes place at its base. From these facts it appears that the growth in length of 
the sporophore, so far as it depends on formation of new cells, takes place at and 
close beneath the apex by the apical growth of the united hyphae ; this is therefore 
the growing point. Then the cells produced at the growing point elongate in the 
order in which they are formed and assume their ultimate form. As the elongation 
commences the primordia of scattered unicellular hairs make their appearance as 
branches on the superficial hyphae of the lower sterile portion, and on the upper part 
the dense weft of the hymenial layer. At length the activity of the growing point 
ceases and with it the growth of the whole sporophore. In the interior of the 
parts more remote from the growing point there appears to be no further formation, 
or at any rate no considerable formation of new cells, either by division of previously 
formed cells or by addition of new hyphal branches introduced between those already 
in existence’. 
z. The compound sporophores of Selerotinia Sclerotiorum (Fig. 22), the early 
stages and special structure of which will be again described in Division II, burst forth 
as cylindrical bodies from the sclerotium, grow in this form to a length of 1o mm. 
more or less, and then increase in breadth at the apex in such a manner as to pass 
through the shape of a club ‘into that of a stalked funnel-shaped cup, which may 
finally have its margin turned outwards. The young cylinder consists chiefly of a bundle 
of nearly parallel hyphae; the slender delicate-walled extremities of the hyphae 

1 See also Brefeld, Schimmel pilze, III.—Reinke u. Berthold, Die Zersetzung d. Kartoffel durch 
Pilze, p. 58. 
