114 
Mycologia 
with the algal cells after these have been killed. The fruit is pro- 
duced after the saprophytic relation is established. The rela- 
tions of the Karschia to living and dead sources of food supply 
are certainly complex enough ; but we must conclude that the fun- 
gus is as good a lichen as are many other fungi which live in re- 
lation with algae during part of their life period only. 
Similar are the results of Zopf (146), who studied Rhynibo- 
carpiis pmictiformis Zopf on Rhisocarpon geographictim (L.) 
Lam. and Conida punctatella (Nyl.) Zopf and C. rubescens Arn. 
on Rhisocarpon alboatrum (Hof¥m.)Th. Fr. The Rhymbocarpns 
and both Conidas enter into parasitic relationship with the algal 
hosts within the Rhisocarpons, and therefore Zopf very properly 
regarded them low forms of lichens. He concluded that many 
other parasites on lichens are likewise primitive lichens. 
Elizabeth Acton (i) investigated Botrydina vulgaris Breb., 
growing on mosses and hepatics. The minute colonies, barely 
visible to the eye, cover the stems and leaves, often so thickly as 
to conceal them. The sheaths of the globular or irregular col- 
onies are traversed by fungal hyphae. On close examination, 
these sheaths appear to be cellular. In some cultures. Miss Acton 
obtained a rich development of fungal hyphae and in others small 
unicellular algae, the results depending upon the kind of medium 
used or the conditions under which the cultures grew. The 
sheaths are very resistant to chemicals and are probably composed 
of fungus-cellulose. In early stages of development, she found 
fungal hyphae in contact with the sheaths and concluded that 
the sheaths develop from the hyphae. Sections showed plainly 
the plectenchymatous nature of the sheaths and the distorted 
forms of the algal cells. In one specimen, the fungus was intact, 
but no algal cells could be detected. The alga was also found 
free. The fungus is doubtless a lichen, living in parasitic rela- 
tion with a unicellular alga. The alga is Coccomyxa snbellip- 
soidea, of the Palmellaceae ; and the lichen, on account of the 
occurrence of ring-like structures similar to the conidia of the 
Mucidineae, division Helicosporeae, is supposed to belong to that 
group. Of course this makes what has been known as Botrydina 
vulgaris Breb. not an alga at all, but a lichen parasitic on an alga. 
The lichen must be renamed as soon as its nature can be ascer- 
tained. 
