484 Brier ley,—The ‘ Endoconidia ’ of Thielavia hasicola , 
There is some doubt whether at first, perhaps,, Zopf regarded the 
conidia as produced endogenously; but later he discarded as superfluous 
the term ‘ Pseudosporangium ’ for the 1 pistolenformige Conidienbildungen 
and apparently considered the peculiar formation of the spores to be 
correlated with a curious method of liberation. 
Since this work much literature has accumulated around the subject, of 
which the greater part prior to 1909 is cited in the bibliography appended 
to Gilbert’s 1 memoir. 
This author, who treats of the morphology of the fungus with more 
than usual fullness, may be taken as representing the general opinion 
subsequent to Zopf’s investigations. The 6 endoconidiophore ’ consists of 
a tapering ‘ endoconidial cell ’ seated upon a few to several plump barrel¬ 
shaped cells. The ‘ endoconidia ’ are produced from the copious protoplasm 
within the terminal cell, which opens by a bursting or dissolution of the tip, 
and the conidia are slowly pushed out by the growth of the protoplasm in the 
swollen basal portion of the cell, new conidia being formed continuously in 
the rear of those being ejected. 4 It is sometimes difficult to perceive that 
the conidia originate within the cell and are not formed by its direct 
septation.’ 
According to this interpretation the conidia are produced endogenously 
within the neck of a phial-shaped cell; and below the latest formed 
conidium is a naked surface of protoplasm. 
Duggar 2 holds a slightly different view. The spores are formed by 
basipetal septation as short cylindrical cells within the branch. The tip of 
the latter is finally broken and the conidia are pushed out by osmotic force, 
the branch assuming the part of a spore-case. 
Massee 3 describes the conidiophore as an upright septate branch 
becoming gradually narrowed above and remaining perfectly colourless. 
The apical portion becomes ruptured and the contents grow out through 
the torn apex as a chain of spores. 
Professor V. H. Blackman suggested to me that this subject required 
a thorough investigation, and I am grateful to him for the laboratory 
facilities he placed at my disposal 
Method. 
The differences between natural structure and artifact in fixed and 
stained preparations of minutiae in Fungi are frequently of so fine and 
nice a quality that their exact evaluation is very difficult. In the present 
1 Gilbert, W. W. : The Root-Rot of Tobacco caused by Thielavia basicola. U. S. Dept. Agric. 
Bur. PL Ind., 1909, Bull. No. 158. 
2 Duggar, B. M.: Fungous Diseases of Plants, 1909, p. 212, Fig. 83. 
3 Massee, G.: A Disease of Sweet Peas, Asters, and other Plants. Bull. Misc. Inform. Roy. Bot, 
Gard., Kew, 1912, pp. 44-52, Fig. 3. Mildews, Rusts, and Smuts. 1913, p. 50, PL XI. 
