CHAPTER XIX 
LIFE HISTORIES OF FUNGI 
247. The Groups of Fungi. We are all more or less 
familiar with fungi, as represented by the common 
molds, mildews, toadstools, and mushrooms. They 
are all plants without chlorophyll, and are therefore 
dependent upon green plants for their nourishment. 
The Greek word for fungi is mycetes, and this word 
terminates the names of the various groups, as follows: 
1. Phy corny cetes, alga-like fungi; so-called 
because they closely resemble certain 
algae, except for the lack of chlorophyll. 
2. Ascomycetes, sac-fungi; so-called because 
their asexual spores are formed in tiny 
sacs (asci) 
3. Basidiomy cetes, with spores borne on 
little club-shaped hyphae, or basidia. In- 
clude the smuts, rusts, and mushrooms. 
AN ALGA-LIKE FUNGUS (RHIZOPUS) 
248. Habitat. Everyone is acquainted with "bread 
mold," a plant without chlorophyll, and having a fila- 
mentous plant body. There are many kinds of fila- 
mentous fungi, more or less closely related to Rhizopus, 
and growing on various substances or "substrata." 
They all agree in at least three points: (i) they are always 
filamentous; (2) they never possess chlorophyll; (3) they 
always grow on some organic substratum. The sub- 
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