ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
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following characters : — Fertile hyphae erect, septate, growing in sigmoid 
curves, intricately branched, the main branches subdichotomous or 
falsely dichotomous, the ultimate branches sterile. Spores solitary, 
thick-walled, borne on the surface of spherical heads. Heads borne at 
the apex of short lateral branches which arise from opposite sides of 
certain cells in the continuity of the hyphae. 
Sclerote - forming Fungi.* * * § — Herr E. Fischer describes various 
sclerotic formations of Fungi, and discusses their connection with the 
hymenomycetous fructification-form. 
Pachyma Cocos is a widely distributed sclerote attached to the roots 
of trees, especially Conifers. The internal white substance of the 
sclerote consists of slender hyphae and very strongly refringent, often 
branched, coral-like masses of various sizes. From their reaction towards 
chemical reagents, and by tracing the continuity of the hyphae, Herr 
Fischer has determined that the hyphae belong to the fungus and not to 
a modification of the woody structure of the host. Pachyma is a true 
parasite, exercising a destructive influence on its host. Its fructification- 
form is in all probability a Polyporus , but the species cannot at present 
be determined. 
Polyporus sacer from Madagascar is a long-stalked species springing 
from a large and well-developed sclerote, which the author identifies 
with that described as Pacliyma Malaccense , and has determined their 
genetic connection by tracing the continuity of the hyphae from one to 
the other. This sclerote also contains strongly refringent bodies which 
are obviously a store of reserve food-material. 
Several exotic species of Lentinus spring from sclerotes, known as 
Tuber regium and Pachyma Woermanni , on which they have been re- 
garded by some as parasitic ; the author has, however, traced a genetic 
connection between the two. 
Mylitta, Sclerotium stipitatum , and Pietra fungaja are sclerote-like 
structures, tl:e true nature of which it is impossible at present definitely 
to determine, from the want of material. 
Prof. F. Cohn and Dr. J. Schroeter f describe the various forms of 
Pachyma and Mylitta , which they regard as sclerotes. From Pachyma 
Woermanni a hymenomycete-form was obtained described as Lentinus 
Woermanni sp. n., and from Mylitta lapidescens , from Japan and the 
West Indies, a fructification which also represents a new species, 
Omphalia lapidescens. 
Sclerotoid Coprmus.lj: — Messrs. J. B. Ellis and B. Everhart describe 
a species of Coprinus found growing on a sclerote. To this the 
name of Coprinus sclerotigenus has been given, it being sufficiently 
distinguished from other sclerotoid species of Coprinus by its habit, its 
few spores, and its stipe. 
Mycodendron, a new Genus of Hymenomycetes.§ —Mr. G. Massee 
describes a remarkable new genus of fungi from Madagascar, allied to 
Merulius , characterized by the stipe bearing a large number of super- 
* Hedwigia, xxx. (1891) pp. 61-103 (8 pis.). 
t Abhandl. Naturwiss. Ver. Hamburg, xi., 16 pp. and 1 pi. See Hedwigia, xxx. 
(1891) p. 117. X Rev. Mycol., xiii. (1891) pp. 18-20. 
§ Journ. of Bot , xxix. (1891) pp. 1-2 (1 pi.). 
2 n 2 
