CARPOPHYTA, 155 
alcohol or glycerine. However, much may be made out by the care- 
ful examination of dried specimens. 
Red Seaweeds may often be obtained ‘‘in the rough” which can 
be slightly moistened and then pressed out and dried for study. 
Such material will often yield quite good specimens, 
Good mounted microscopic specimens may sometimes be obtained 
showing the structure of the plant as well as of the sexual and asex- 
ual reproductive organs. 
Cuass III. Ascomycerrss (the Sac-Fungi). 
320. This large class includes chlorophyll-less plants 
which differ much in size and appearance, but which agree 
in producing their fruit-spores (sac-spores, or ascospores) 
in sacs (asci). 
321. The sexual organs consist of carpogones and anther- 
ids, and, after fertilization, produce a spore-fruit (sporo- 
carp) which includes the sacs and their contained sac-spores. 
The most common number of sac-spores is eight in each 
sac; but it sometimes exceeds, and frequently falls short, of 
this number, there being often no more than one or two. 
The sacs are in many cases arranged side by side in a com- 
pact mass, forming a spore-bearing surface (the hymenium). 
322. In addition to the sac-spores there are generally one 
or more other kinds of spores which are developed asexu- 
ally. Some of these are doubtless to be regarded as the 
equivalents of the conidia of the lower groups, and will 
accordingly be so named here. 
Of the Sac-fungi there are a number of well-marked 
orders, all’ but one of which are popularly known as fungi. 
323. The Blights and their Allies (Order Perisporia- 
cew).—These plants, which are mainly parasitic, are com- 
posed of branching jointed filaments (hyphw) which form 
a white web-like film upon the surface of the leaves and 
stems of their hosts. There are both sexual and asexual 
