Note on Polysaccum Crassipes, D.G. 
211 
form between the cells a mass of pseudo-parenchymatous tissue (Fig. 12), 
composed of branched, septate and intertwined hyphae, l-45-3'6 /x in 
diameter. 
The fungus, which has not been observed to penetrate the cells or to get 
into the wood, causes no destruction to the cells of the root, which latter 
remain alive and healthy. Its action is evidently not parasitic. 
It is interesting in this connection to note that Bruns,* in a work not at 
my disposal, found Folysaccum forming coatings on the roots of pines, and 
the action was not one of parasitism. 
Woronin,t carrying out investigations on certain trees and edible fungi 
in Finland in the summer of 1883, noticed that the roots of many plants 
were enclosed in thick mycelia. This condition he found in Salix spp., 
Pojjulus tremula, Corylus avellana, Betulina alba, and also in grasses. The 
encircling of the roots he regards as a special form of parasitism, and the 
mycelia as belonging to Boleti. 
On reading through the works of Frank % on symbiosis it is very 
suggestive that the case before us agrees well with what is regarded by 
him as symbiotic relationship between fungus and higher plant. Kamienski 
(1882) called attention to this relationship. He studied Monotro^ja hyjjo- 
pitys, Fagus sylvatica, and the Coniferae. Three years later (1885) Frank, 
following up some previous work of Eees § (1880) on Elaphomyces, directed 
his attention primarily to the question as to whether Truffles form a 
symbiotic relation with the roots of higher plants. 
In this work he makes, perhaps owing to an oversight, no mention of 
the previous work of Kamienski, as is pointed out by Woronin (1885) in 
his work already cited. In 1887 Frank || distinguishes clearly between 
ectotrojjhic and endotruphic mycorhiza, and 1888 discusses fully the physio- 
logical importance of mycorhiza. The general conclusions he arrives at are : 
(1) The mycorhiza fungi do not obtain their essentials from the living plant, 
but from the contents of the soil, and it is especially on the presence of 
humus that the fungus and mycorhiza developing from it depends. (2) The 
mycorhiza function for the plant for several seasons as an organ of humus 
assimilation, which substances as such are not directly available to the 
roots themselves. (3) The mycorhiza function as root hairs. 
* Bruns, " Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Gattung Polysaccum- Flora 78," 67 (1894). 
t Woronin, M.^ " Ueber die Pilwurzel (Mycorhiza) van B. Frank," Ber. d. Dcut. 
Bot. Ges.," vol. iii, p. 205. 
X Frank, H., " Ueber die auf Wurzelsymbiose beruhende Ernahrung gewisser 
Baume durch unter-irdische Pilze," Ber. d. Beut. Hot. Ges., vol. iii, p. 118. 
§ Rees, M., " Ueber Elaphomyces und sonstige Wurzelpilze," Ber. d. Deut. Bot. 
Ges. vol. iii, p. 293. 
II Frank, 1],, (1887) " Ueber neue Mycorhiza-Formem.," Ber. d. Deut, Bot. Ges., 
vol. iv, p. 395 (1888) " Ueber die physiologische-Bedeutung," Ber. d. Deut. Bot. 
Ges., vol. vi, p. 248. 
