34 
REPRODUCTION OF THE ASCOMYCETES. 
If one species presents two sorts of conceptacles only, the one of 
them containing thecae, ought the other to be named spermo- 
gonia or pycnidia ? There are some excessively obscure cases ; 
and how, in fact, to class the reproductive bodies named in the 
“ Selecta fungorum Carpologia ” — stylosperes spermatiformes ? We 
will attempt to analyse these facts. It appears, in the first place, 
there are in these small bodies two groups well distinguished by 
their origin, which M. Tulasne has equally named spermatia. The 
one are born sessile upon some rather short filaments united in a 
dense and compact stratum {Polystigma rubrum^ Diatrype quercina, 
Phytisma acerinum) ; the others are carried by some divided 
filaments, each joint of which is fertile. These are the greater 
number of the Ascomycetes and Lichens. 
This distinction seems sufficiently decided. The first category 
of the spores recalls the conidia of Hypoxylon, and, in certain 
cases, in a very complete fashion ; these are in appearance micro- 
stylospores. The small spores of the sphacelus of the Claviceps 
purpurea, which M. Tulasne had at first named spermatia, come 
under this head ; he recognised later on their germinative faculty, 
and no more considered them as such. The spores of this group 
are often curved like a bow, their longitudinal diameter being 
much superior to their transversal ( Diatrype quercina, Aglaospora 
profusa. Polystigma rubrum). The others should be the spermatia 
properly so called ; but, in many cases, there are some inter- 
mediaries between these two forms. One conceives, moreover, that if 
the divided filament is interlaced with others of the same nature 
in such a manner as that the sterigmate, generally short, wherein 
is born the small spore, may be upright, it must be relegated to 
the former class. If the divisions are very close together, the 
sterigmata becoming elongated a little, we fall back again into a 
very analogous position {Entypa Acliarii, Melanconis lanciformis). 
There are, therefore, some transitions between the two categories, 
of such sort that one must hesitate as to the interpretation to be 
put upon such or such a spore. One sees that we cannot find any 
distinctive character showing the manner in which they are borne 
upon the filaments. 
A curious case to cite in the work of M. Tulasne is that of Valsa 
( Nectria ? ) chrysoides ; we there see the kind of difference which 
may present itself many times. There is the greatest analogy between 
the figure 15, which gives the insertion of the Conidia, and the 
figure 11 of the Melanconis lanciformis (loc. czY.^, which gives that 
of the spermatia. It is necessary to remark, besides, that the di- 
visions of the filaments have not been indicated in either case. 
What inference is to be drawn from this ? It is that it is impos- 
sible to decide by these considerations only, if one has to do with 
either sort of spores, and henceforward one can conceive that, guided 
only by the criterion deduced from germination, M. Tulasne has 
committed some errors, and considered as stylospores some spores 
which were in reality spermatia, and reciprocally. 
