PHYCOMYCETES. 153 



Other and simpler reproductive bodies are also formed, and 

 various attempts have been made to individualize these 

 different bodies — spores in the old sense ; but as the homol- 

 ogies and functions of the various forms are not yet known, 

 the old term spore has been retained in the present work, 

 either alone, or in the form of compounds sufficiently 

 expressive of the nature of the organ producing them, as 

 ascospore, basidiospore, oospore, etc. The reproductive 

 bodies formed by the simpler secondary methods have been 

 termed conidia. De Bary has suggested the name gonidium 

 for all specialized spore-like bodies not sexually produced, 

 and this idea appears very feasible as read in a book ; but 

 when we come to read several books on the subject by 

 men of equal merit, it is found that no two agree as to the 

 point where sexual organs cease to be of functional value. 



The following arrangement is from Brefeld's latest work on 

 the fungi. The term conidium is used for all reproductive 

 bodies produced asexually according to the author's view, 

 whether borne in sporangia or naked on basidia, etc. 



PHYCOMYCETES. 



Mycelium generally without transverse septa in the 

 vegetative portion, parasitic on plants or animals, or 

 saprophytes, aquatic or aerial ; sexual reproduction by 

 zygospores formed by the conjugation of morphologically 

 similar branches, or by oogonia and antheridia ; asexual 

 reproduction by ciliated, motile zoospores, or by non- 

 motile spores. 



The species are all minute, and in many instances 

 microscopic, although in many of the species popularly known 

 as " moulds " the mycelium forms a broadly-expanded, 

 felt-like mass. 



