FUNGI IMPERFECT I 



genus Cryptococcus Kiitzing, 1833, is good, and therefore should 

 find a suitable place in a fungal classification. 



Saccharomyces and its allies and cryptococcus and its allies are, 

 however, so closely related that it is necessary to give some simple 

 scheme whereby laboratory workers and clinicians may easily 

 differentiate those found in pathological work; and such a scheme 

 is as follows : — 



I. In cultures budding forms present; mycelium absent, or 

 only traces thereof present ; asci present— -Saccharomyces . 

 II. As I., but no asci present — Cryptococcus. 



III. Budding forms present; mycelium well developed; septate 



or not, branched or not; asci present — -Endomyces. 



IV. As III., but asci not present— Monilia. 



V. Budding forms absent; mycelium well developed, septate; 

 oval or rectangular arthrospores (thallospores) present— 

 Oidium. 



Classification. — -The various families of the Blastosporineae with 

 which we are concerned may be recognized as follows :— 



A. HyphcB not manifestly different from the spores : — 



I. Spores not in chains. Usually do not ferment carbo- 

 hydrates with the production of gas — Family i, 

 CryptococcacecB Kiitzing, 1833. 

 II. Spores in chains. Usually ferment carbohydrates 

 with the production of gas — Family 2, Odsporacece 

 Saccardo, 1886. 



B. HyphcB manifestly different from the spores : — 



I. Spores not in chains, but arranged verticillately — ■ 

 Family 3, EnantiothamnacecB Chalmers and Archi- 

 bald, 1915. 



II. Spores in chains — Family 4, HaplographidcecB Sac- 

 cardo, 1886. 



III. Spores in short chains or solitary — ^Family 5, Clado- 

 sporiacecB Saccardo, 1886. 



Family i: Cryptococcace^ Kiitzing, 1833. 



Definition. — Blastosporineae in which the hyphse are little different 

 from the conidia, both being yeast-hke in form. Hie conidia are en- 

 tirely formed by gemmation from the hyphse and are never in chains. 



Remarks.^ — -This family, of which the type genus is Cryptococcus, 

 is very commonly classified with the class Ascomycetes, which in- 

 cludes an order established by Brefeld and variously named hemi- 

 ascomycetes, hemi-asci, proto-asci, and gymnascales. This order 

 is looked upon by many authorities as a link between the Phycomy- 

 cetes and the true Ascomycetes, and, indeed, its founder, Brefeld, 

 believed that, in process of evolution, the sporangium of the Phy- 

 comycetes had been converted into the ascus of the Ascomycetes. 



