CARPOPHTTA. 



161 



(J) Blue Mould may be obtained from decaying fruit, pastry, and 

 frequently upon ink. 



335. The Cup-Fungi and their Allies 

 {Order Selvellaceoe). — The common 

 Cup-fungus of the woods is a good 

 representative of this order. The fa- 

 miliar cup- or saucer-shaped growth is in 

 reality the spore-fruit, while the plant 

 itself generally grows underground. 

 The plant consists of whitish, jointed 

 filaments which grow on or in the 

 ground, drawing their nourishment from 

 decaying sticks, roots, etc. 



386. But little is known as to the 

 asexual reproduction, but in some spe- 

 cies conidia much like those in the pre- 

 ceding orders have been observed. 



337. The sexual organs are pro- 

 duced by the swelling up of the 

 ends of certain of the white filaments 

 of the plant into globular or ovoid 

 cells, the carpogones, each having a 

 projection (trichogyne) . From be- 

 low each carpogone a slender branch 

 grows out, and becomes the antherid 

 (Fig. 86). 



338. Fertilization takes place by 

 the antherids coming in contact 

 with the trichogyne. As a result, 

 numerous branches start out from 

 below the carpogone, and growing 



upward form a dense felted mass which gradually takes on 



Fig. 85.— a filament o£ 

 Blue Mould (Penicillium 

 chartarum), bearing co- 

 nidia. At the side is 

 shown an isolated chain 

 of conidia. 



Figs. 86.— Sexual organs of 

 a Oup-fungus (Peziza orapha- 

 lodes). The two carpogones 

 are globular; each has a 

 curved trichogyne. The an- 

 therids are curved branches 

 from below the carpogones. 

 Much magnified. 



