the Ascocarp in Monascus. 193 
In the following year Brefeld (2) published his researches 
on Ascoidea , Protomyces , and Thelebolus , the results of which 
led him to consider these forms as intermediate between the 
Phycomycetes and the Ascomycetes, placing them accordingly 
in a new group, the Hemiasci. He suggested in a footnote the 
possibility of Monascus belonging to it. Into this group the 
genus Monascus seemed to fit naturally, judging from Van 
Tieghem’s account. It was first definitely placed there by 
Schroter (19), who at the same time recognized that Harz’s 
genus Physomyces was identical with Monascus . The order 
Leptoomycetes was therefore re-named by him Monascaceae, 
and in it were included the two species, described by 
Van Tieghem, together with Physomyces heterosporus , re- 
named Monascus heterosporus , H el icosporangiu m , Kars, and 
Papulaspora , Preuss., the two latter genera being included on 
the authority of Harz. 
No new facts with regard to the genus were brought to 
light until 1895 , when Went published a paper on ‘ Le 
Champignon de l’Ang-quac ’ (27). Ang-quac is a deep 
purple colouring matter prepared in China, and used in 
Eastern Asia for cooking purposes as a pigment. It consists 
of coloured powdered rice, the colour being produced by a 
fungus growing on the rice. Went isolated this organism 
and found it to be a new species of Monascus , naming it 
M. purpureus because of its characteristic colour. In 
studying its life-history he found several new and important 
facts in connexion with the development of the ‘sporangium,’ 
which the previous authors had not mentioned. The first 
stage consisted in the formation at the end of a hypha of 
two branches or cells, the one straight and apparently the 
terminal cell of the hypha, and the other formed just below 
it and slightly curving around it. The latter in course of 
growth continued to curve more and more, until the two 
were bent almost at right angles to the parent hypha. Went 
called the curved cell the ascogenous hypha, and regarded 
the straight branch as the first investing hypha. The asco- 
genous hypha then became divided into three cells by the 
O 
