POLYMORPHIC FUNGI. 
27 
on decaying gourds. The spores are clavate, at length some- 
what rectangular, with numerous septa, constricted, and very 
variable, both in size and in the number of cells. 
Besides these, there are certain “ distinct papillate, or bottle- 
shaped cysts, which contain naked spores, capable of germina- 
tion.” So that altogether we have five different forms of fungi, 
all of which are but stages or conditions of one and the same 
thing. It is very probable that, in addition to these, spermatid, 
may also hereafter be discovered, or traced to some already 
known Coniomycetous species. From this example it will, be 
readily understood what we mean when writing of “ polymor- 
phic fungi.” 
Having thus, as it were, defined our terms, we will proceed 
to notice two instances of apparent polymorphism which have 
come before us. We say “ apparent” advisedly, because in the 
second instance only suspicions can be predicated. Some two 
or three years ago we collected a quantity of dead box-leaves, 
on which grew a mould named by Link Penicillium roseum. 
This mould has a roseate tint, and occurs in patches on the 
leaves ; the threads are erect and branched above, bearing 
oblong, somewhat spindle-shaped, spores. When collected 
these leaves were examined, and nothing was observed or noted 
upon them except the Penicillium . After some time, certainly 
between two and three years, during which the box remained 
undisturbed, circumstances led to the examination again of 
one or two of the leaves, and afterwards of the greater number 
of them, and the patches of Penicillium were found to be 
intermixed with another mould of a higher development and 
far different character (PI. LXYIII. fig. 5). This mould, or rather 
Mucor , for it belongs to the Mucorini , consists of erect 
branching threads, many of the branches terminating in a 
delicate, globose, glassy head, or sporangium, containing 
numerous very minute subglobose sporidia. This species has 
been named Mucor hyalinus. The habit is very much like 
that of the Penicillium , but without any roseate tint. It is 
almost certain that the Mucor could not have been present 
when the Penicillium was examined, and the leaves on which 
it had grown were enclosed in the tin box, but that the Mucor 
afterwards appeared on the same leaves, sometimes from the 
same patches, and from the same mycelium. The great dif- 
ference in structure of the two species lies in the fructification. 
In Penicillium , of which the figure 4 of our plate (PI. LXVIII.) 
is a good illustration, the spores are naked, and in moniliform 
threads, whilst in Mucor the spores are enclosed within globose 
membranous heads or sporangia, as shown in fig. 5. The 
moulds, or Mucedines , to which Penicillium belongs, are 
included in one of the large family of fungi termed Hypho - 
