6 BULLETIN 510, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Both the fruit bodies and basidiospores vary greatly in vitality 
among the different species of fungi. External temperature and 
moisture conditions exert a great influence, particularly when the 
two are working together in an unfavorable role. 
Low temperatures appear far less injurious than high temperatures. 
Buller and Cameron 1 report gathering living fruit bodies of Schizo- 
phyllum commune from a woodpile at Winnipeg, Canada, in March 
at a temperature of —17° C. (1° F.), after exposure for. several 
months at winter temperatures ranging between —15° and —40° C. 
(5° and —40° F.). After thawing for a few hours the fruit bodies 
cast spores readily. They further report that immersing an active 
fruit body of the same fungus in water and placing it in the open 
over night at a minimum temperature of —31° C. (—24° F.) did not 
suffice to kill the organism, although it was frozen into a solid block 
of ice. 
Carrying the work still farther, Buller 2 exposed fruit bodies of 
the same fungus (previously kept dry for two years and eight months 
in ordinary air) to the temperature of liquid air, —190° C. (—310° 
F.), for three weeks in a vacuum tube. Upon removal and moisten- 
ing, the fruit bodies were still alive and cast spores in abundance. 
In his larger work 3 and certain later articles, the same author 
shows that at ordinary temperatures dried fruit bodies retain their 
capacity to produce spores for long periods; for instance, Daedalea 
unicolor can remain alive in the dark at least 8J years and Schizo- 
phyllum commune at least 6| years. Certain others may retain their 
vitality for only two or three years. 
•In the case of temperatures above the optimum, however, the in- 
jurious effect ma} T become marked within a comparatively small 
range. For instance, Falck 4 states that fruit todies of Lenzites 
abietina fail to produce spores after five days at 26° (78° F.) and 
the spores fail to germinate at 42° C. (108° F.). A corresponding 
relation is also said to exist with Merulius lachrymans and other 
species, for the same author 5 states that fresh fruit bodies of Meru- 
lius domesticus (=M. lachrymans in part) are killed in 30 minutes 
at 40° to 42° (104° to 108° F.) and in 15 minutes at 46° C. (115° 
F.) ; at 42° C. (108° F.) dry spores are killed in 12 to 16 hours. 
In addition to spores produced in fruit bodies, another set of 
reproductive bodies is often produced directly by the mycelium. 
1 Buller, A. H. R., and Cameron, A. T. On the temporary suspension of vitality in 
the fruit bodies of certain llymenomycetes. In Proc. and Trans. Roy. Soc. Canada, s. 3, 
v. 6, 1912, sec. 4, p. 73-78. 1913. 
2 Buller, A. H. R. Upon the retention of vitality by dried fruit bodies of certain 
Hymenomycetes, including an account of an experiment with liquid air. In Brit. Mycol. 
Soc. Trans., v. 4, 1912, pt. 1, p. 10G-112. 1913. 
8 Buller, A. H. R. Researches on Fungi . . . 287 p., illus., 5 fold. pi. London, 1909. 
* Falck, Richard. Die Lenzites-Fiiiile des Coniferenbolzes. In Moller, Alfred. Ilaus- 
schwammforschungen. Heft 3, p. 09 and 98. 1909. 
6 Falck, Richard. Die Merulius-Faule des Bauholzes. In Moller, Alfred. Haus- 
schwammforschungen. Heft 6, p. 339. 1912. 
