340 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
produces yeast- cells. Fumago is a very polymorphic fungus, and 
possesses organs of fructification of various forms ; but the yeast-cells 
which Zopf has described probably do not belong to Fumago. Clado~ 
sporium and Hormodendron do not form conids when submerged, and 
Fumago only when the nutrient fluid contains milk-, grape-, or cane- 
sugar. 
Monascus purpureus, sp. n.* — Under this name M. F. Went de- 
scribes a fungus producing the pigment known as “ang-quac,” which is 
introduced into J ava from China, and is largely used for colouring food- 
stuffs, especially fish. The pigment, which is of a deep purple colour,, 
appears to be produced in a portion of the tliallus. The fungus belongs 
to the Hemiasci ; it has no true conids, but transformed chlamydospores, 
which are wanting in Thelebolus. 
Crustaceous Lichens.f — The following are the main results of Herr 
G. Lindau’s observations on this class of Lichens. In those forms which 
live on the bark of trees there is a portion of the thallus — the basal 
layer — destitute of gonids, which grows in the interior of the periderm, 
between the layers of cells. In the Hypophloeodse this layer extends 
rather deep ; in the Epiphlceodac it is limited to the uppermost strata. 
A similar structure occurs in the higher lichens, where the hyphae of the 
basal layer, destitute of gonids or of the rhizoids, may also penetrate 
between the cells of the periderm. This portion serves, in the first 
place, for fixing the lichen, possibly also for its nutrition. The growth 
of the hyphae is entirely intercellular, through the separation of the 
layers of the periderm ; no perforation of cell-walls ever takes place. 
There is no direct absorption of cellulose by the hyphae, but it is possible 
that cell-walls which have already undergone change by the action of 
atmospheric agents may be absorbed. Trentepolilia umbrina does not 
possess, any more than the hyphae, the power of perforating cell-walls 
and absorbing cellulose. 
Parasitic Exoascese.ij: — Dr. K. Giesenhagen gives a monograph of 
the parasitic species of this group of fungi comprised in the genera 
Fxoascus, Taphrina ( Taphria ), and Magnusiella. He regards the form 
of the ascus as the most important character in determining genetic 
affinity. On this principle all the species included in the first two 
genera are classified under four types — the Filicina, the Betulae, the 
Pruni, and the iEsculi types. The author believes that all the species 
have one common origin, and have undergone gradual development pari 
passu with the host-plant on which they are parasitic. Those belonging 
to the Filicina type are found only on Pteridophyta, the Betulae-tjpe 
only on J uliflorae, the Pruni-type only on Rosiflorae, and the iEsculi-type 
only on Eucycleae. Of these the first is in all probability the oldest, all 
the parasitic species being derived from one archaic form, in which the 
asci have arisen as lateral outgrowths from single cells. The second 
type includes nearly one-half the total number of species, and may be 
again divided into forms with and forms without pedicel-cell. 
* Ann. Sci. Nat. (Bot.), i. (1895) pp. 1-18 (2 pis.). 
t ‘ Ueber Waehsth. u. Anheftungsweise d. Rinden-flechten,’ Dresden, 1895,. 
66 pp. and 3 pis. See Bot. Centralbl., lxv. (1896) p. 60. 
X Flora, lxxxi. (1895) Erganz.-bd., pp. 267-361 (71 figs.). Cf. this Journal, 
1895, p. 663. 
