504 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Fungi. 
Influence of Light on the Growth of Fungi.* * * § — According to Herr 
F. Elfving, the results of experiments on mould-fungi show that light 
has in general a prejudicial effect on synthesis, both the visible and the 
ultra-violet rays having this effect. With the same organisms, light 
diminishes respiration when they are young, but has no influence when 
they are mature. 
Dispersion and Germination of the Spores of Fungi, j — Dr. M. C. 
Cooke doubts whether there is any actual evidence to support the preva- 
lent theory that the spores of some fungi, such as those of the mushroom, 
must pass through the intestinal canal of an animal before they can 
germinate. On the other hand it seems clear that the foetid odour of 
Phallus impudicus and of other Phalloidei does attract flies and other 
insects which are serviceable in the dissemination of the spores. 
Carbohydrates in Fungi.J — M. E. Bourquelot points out that, in 
order to obtain a knowledge of the saccharine matters contained in fungi, 
it is necessary to submit both old and young specimens to the action 
of boiling water. The author has nearly always succeeded in isolating 
trehalose. It is to be found, for instance, in Boletus scaber , B. versipellis , 
B. aurantiacus, B. edulis, and Hypholoma fasciculare. If the fungus is 
fairly advanced, mannite will be found at the same time, while in still 
older fungi only mannite is found. Another point the author mentions 
is that the sugar contained in young fungi does not reduce the cupro- 
potash solution, but it acts as a reducing agent when the fungus becomes 
old, or when it is dried at a low temperature. 
Endotrophic Mycorhiza.§ — M. P. A. Dangeard describes the fungi 
which are found in the cortical cells of the rhizome of Tmesipteris 
Vieillardii. They are of two kinds, a Cladochytrium and an Ascomycetous 
fungus. The former is a new species which the author names C. Tmesip- 
teridis , distinguished by its well-developed brown torulose mycele pro- 
ducing a great number of sporanges and oosperms. The author believes 
that we have not here an example of true symbiosis, but that the fungus 
is parasitic on its host and injurious to it. The Ascomycetous fungus 
was undetermined, no peritheces being seen, but it is probably nearly 
allied to Nectria ; this latter is probably truly symbiotic, and of advan- 
tage to its host. 
Chsetostylum.|| — M. A. de Wevre identifies Klein’s Bulbothamnidium 
elegans with the Chsetostylum Fresenii of Van Tieghem, a small fungus 
belonging to the Mucorini found on horse-dung. He regards Chsetostylum 
as sufficiently distinct generically from Thamnidium. A second species 
proposed by Sorokine under the name Chsetostylum echinatum is identical 
with Thamnidium chsetocladioides. 
* ‘Studien lib. d. Einwirkung d. Lichtes auf d. Pilze,’ Helsingfors, 1890, 5 pis. 
See Biol. Centralbl., xi (1891) p. 103. 
f Grevillea, xix. (1891) pp. 84-6. 
X Bull. Soc. Mycol. de France, 1890. See Rev. Mycol., xiii. (1891) p. 43. Cf. 
this Journal, ante , p. 77. 
§ Le Botaniste (Dangeard), ii. (1891) pp. 223-8 (1 pi.). 
II CR. Soc. Roy. Bot. Belgique, 1891, pp. 40-4. 
