ASCOMYCETES AND BASIDIOMYCETES 



isolated once by Vuillemin, which has all the characteristics of the 

 genus Endomyces, Landrieu has suggested the term Endomyces 

 vuillemini. 



Endomyces vuillemini Landrieu, 1912. 



Synonym. — Endomyces albicans Vuillemin, i( 

 Found by Vuillemin in 1898 in thrush patches. 

 Parasitic Life. — This fungus forms white patches on the tongue 

 and buccal mucosa. The patches are easily detached. A particle 

 examined under the microscope shows septate mycelial threads, 

 simple or ramified, the articles of which are straight or some- 

 what bent. Each article or cell is 

 about 20 in length, and 3 to 5 in 

 breadth. At the terminal portion of each 

 mycelial thread three or four shorter 

 ovoid elements are found which repro- 

 duce by budding. Some similar ovoid 

 or roundish globular refringent cells (jan 

 be observed, originating laterally at the 

 septations of the mycelium. These 

 globular elements, which were at first 

 considered to be spores, become detached, 

 and reproduce by germination. 



Saprophytic Life — Culture Characters. 

 — The fungus grows well on slightly 

 acid, Sabouraud's, and other media; 

 does not grow abundantly in alkaline 

 media; does not ferment lactose and is 

 Gram-positive. 



In cultures the fungus appears under 

 two forms: (i) A filamentous form, 

 showing the mycelial threads simple or 

 ramified. (2) A globular form, morpho- 

 logically similar to a typical yeast, and 

 reproducing by budding. Both forms 

 may be found in the same culture. 



The fungus in cultures reproduces 

 by:— 



,1. Chlamydospores or external spores; large globular cells 10 to 

 20 in diameter, with thick resistant walls. The chlamydospores 

 are situate at the terminal extremity of some mycelial hyphse, 

 and represent modified mycehal articles. 



2. Asci containing four ascospores. 



3. Internal spores. These are oval cells with membrane, proto- 

 plasm, and nucleus similar to the external spores. The internal 

 spores are arranged in a single string inside some mycehal tubes. 



Pathogenicity. — The fungus was found by Vuillemin in a case 

 of thrush, a condition generally due to fungi of the genus Monilia 

 (see p. 1079). 



Fig. 493. — Endomyces vuille- 

 mini Landrieu. 



(From a culture. After 

 Vuillemin.) 



I, Mycelial threads, with 

 endospores and conidia; 2, 

 ascus fructification. 



