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SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
exposed, and sometimes even shortly stalked. (4) In the Dermatiacere 
some of the apotheces are from the first completely exposed ; the pericarp 
is membranous, waxy, or horny. They comprise four families — the 
Cenangieas, with pitcher- or bowl-shaped apotheces, and a firm leathery 
pericarp ; the Derinateie, in which the apotheces have a short thick 
stalk ; the Patellariaceas ; and the Bulgariacese, with gelatinous fructi- 
fication. 
In the Pezizaceae the apothece developes from a well-marked hypo- 
thece on the surface of the substratum ; it is at first closed, but opens 
out into the form of a pitcher or bowl ; the pericarp is waxy or fleshy. 
They are divided into four families. (1) The Helotie® comprise small 
fungi with sessile or stalked apotheces, which open out into a cup- or 
disc-shape. (2) In the Mollisieee the apotheces are sessile and glabrous; 
the pericarp is parenchymatous. (3) The Pezizeae are the most highly 
developed family from a morphological point of view, and have large, 
fleshy, usually stalked apotheces. (3j The Ascoboleae are distinguished 
by the mode of escape of the spores ; the ascus stretches itself far out 
of the hymene, an opercule is detached, and the spores, which are often 
numerous, are expelled with force through the opening. 
In the Helvellacese the hymene covers the outside of large fleshy 
erect hymenophores, of various forms, sometimes club-shaped, sometimes 
resembling a hymenomycetous fungus. 
With regard to the pliylogeny of Fungi, Dr. Brefeld considers that 
the Algae and Fungi probably sprang in two distinct lines of descent 
from the Schizophyta. The lowest division of the Fungi is the Phyco- 
mycetes (Zygomycetes and Oomycetes). From these are descended the 
Mesomycetes (Hemiasci and Hemibasidii) ; and from these again the 
highest division, the Mycomycetes (Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes). 
New Genera of Fungi.* — MM. E. Bommer and M. Rousseau describe 
a number of new species of Fungi from Belgium, together with the 
following new genera, belonging to the Ascomycetes : — 
Marchalliella. Peritheces superficial, glabrous, without an opercule, 
bursting irregularly when ripe, without subicules. Asci ovoid, 8-spored ; 
spores brown, 2-celled. Related to Zopfia, but distinguished by its 
glabrous peritheces, and the spores not being apiculate. M. zopfellioides, 
on a pine-board which had been treated for two years with manure. 
Psammina. Forming mucilaginous lumps of an olive colour beneath 
the epiderm. Conids colourless, cylindrical, septated, coalescent at their 
base, radiately diverging, and forming nearly hemispherical heads. Re- 
lated to Prnstemiella. P. Bommerise on leaves of Ammophila arenaria. 
Taphrina.f — Herr E. Rostrup describes twenty species of Taphrina, 
natives of Denmark, including two new species, T. Githaginis, parasitic on 
Agrostemma Githago, and T. lutescens on Lastrsea Tliclypteris. He states 
that the mycele of T. Pruni, Cerasi, Cratsegi, deformans, and insititiae 
hibernates in the branches, that of T. epiphylla , Ulmi, bullata, Tosquinetii, 
and hetulina in the buds. 
* Bull. Soc. Roy. Bot. Belgique, xxix. (1890) pp. 3-100. 
t ‘ Taphrinacese Danire,’ Kjobenhaven, 1890, 21 pp. See Bot. Centralbl., xlix. 
(1892) p. 125. 
