THE FLORA OF NEBRASKA. 49 



1. 1IUCOR Linne Spec. PL II., 1655. 1753. 



Saprophytic; mycelium spreading in and upon the substratum; sporangio- 

 phores springing up here and there on the mycelium, simple or branched; 

 sporangia round, many-spored; zygospores borne on the mycelium naked, 

 the copulating branches (suspensors) without outgrowths. 



Etymology: Latin mucor, mould. 



This was the name of one of the eleven genera under which Linne in his 

 Genera Plantarum included all fungi. 



Mucor mncedo Linne 1. c. (in part). 



Sporangiophores erect, rigid, simple, 2-15 cm. high; sporangia large, round, 

 100-200 fi in diam., the membrane quickly disappearing, leaving a small 

 collar-like fragment at the base; columella high-arched, cylindrical or 

 truncate-conical, 70-140x50-80 /x; spores rounded, cylindrical, or long 

 ellipsoid, 6-12x3-6 fj. or sometimes larger, colorless or light yellow. 



In my specimens the spores are regularly 8-10 //, about half as wide and rather 

 strongly tinged with yellow. 



On excrement of animals and various decaying substances the world over. 

 Quite common on decaying insects in the water around Lincoln. PL 

 XIV., Fig. 1, a, b, c. 



Mucor racemosus Fresenius Beitraege 12. 1850. 



Chlamydomucor racemosus Brefeld Untersuch. 1890. 



Sporangiophores erect, of various sizes, 5-40 mm. high or small and frail, 

 richly and irregularly branched, each branch terminating in a sporangium; 

 sporangia small, round, of various sizes, depending on the nourishment, 

 20-70 fj. in diam., the membrane not dissolving but splitting; columella 

 broad clavate or obovate; spores round or short ellipsoid, smooth, color- 

 less singly but in mass yellowish, 6-10x5-8 //. 



When grown in a solution it forms septa rapidly and grows by budding. In 

 this condition it forms ellipsoid or rounded-oblong chlamydospores here 

 and there in the hyp ha e and even in the sporangiophores. In its bud- 

 ding state it is a ferment. 



On decaying organic substances the world over. On paste in the botanical 

 laboratories at the University and very common in solutions, neglected 

 culture- media, etc., in the laboratory. PL XIV., Fig. 2, a, b, c. 



2. PHYCOIYCES Kunze Mycol. Hefte II, 113. 1823. 



Mycelium radiate; sporangiophores simple, arising singly, bronze-green, 

 strongly metallic, terminated by a large sporangium; sporangia round 

 many-spored, the membrane dissolving; columella pear-shaped; conju- 

 gating branches tong-shaped, the suspensors producing dichotomously 

 branched, dark brown projections. 



Etymology: Greek </>moc, alga, and p^f, fungus. 



Phycomyces nitens (Agardh) Kunze 1. c. 

 Viva nitens Agardh. 1817. 



The characters of the genus. Sporangiophores 7-30 cm. long; sporangia 



very large, about 1 mm.; spores ellipsoid, 16-30x8-15 //. 

 A beautiful species, quickly recognized by its metallic appearance. The 



sporangiophores have the look of small, flattened wires. 

 On greasy, oily substances. Also found on a squash at Lincoln. PL XIV. 

 Fig. 3, a, b,. c. 



