26 
Morphologie — Entwicklungsgeschichte 
HAVELIK, K., Über den Fruchtkörper des Hausschwammes 
(Ziva, Prag 1912, 13 ff.). — [Tschechisch.] 
Die verschiedenen Formen des Hymeniums hält Verf. nur für bio¬ 
logische Erscheinungen, hervorgerufen durch die Lage des Fruchtkörpers 
und beeinflußt durch den verschiedenen Grad der Feuchtigkeit. Ein 
systematischer Wert ist den Formen nicht zuzuschreiben. 
Matouschek (Wien). 
BLACKMAN, Y. H. and WELSFORD, E. J., The development of the 
perithecium of Poly stigma rubrum DC. (Ann. Bot. 1912, 26, 
762—766; 2 pi.). 
Earlier observations had suggested that there was present in Poly¬ 
stigma rubrum , well-marked, coiled, multicellular ascogonia with tricho- 
gynes and also of spermatia of peculiar form. ‘‘Furthermore, Frank 
believed that he had obtained evidence of a fusion between spermatium 
and trichogyne indicating the occurrence of a normal sexual process. It 
seemed then possible that a knowledge of the cytology of this form might 
throw considerable light on the general question of the sexuality of the 
Ascomycetes and of the Liche?is in particular, for the problem which 
appearently faces us in the Lichens , that of fertilization by a spermatium 
of a multicellular ascogonium, has in no case been completely solved“. 
The mycelium is at first thin-walled with one to three nuclei in the cells. 
The walls which are soon modified into thick gelatinous membranes usually 
show fine pits. The gelatinous wall is probably of the nature of reserve 
material, for it appears to be in part absorbed during the development 
of the perithecium after the fall of the leaf. “It is to be noted that in 
the early stages of mycelial development the hypliae congregate, especially 
in the intercellular spaces beneath the stomata, and often push their 
way through the stomatal pore.“ 
The spermogonia arise from a group of interwoven, unthickened 
hyphae found usually beneath a stoma. The spermatia are uninucleate 
and are borne terminally on uninucleate hyphae. The spermatial nucleus 
appears at maturity as a narrow band staining nearly homogeneously and 
occupying the lower half or two thirds of the cell. The nucleus appears 
in many cases to undergo disorganisation, even while still enclosed within 
the spermogonium. “No relation of any kind was observed between the 
spermatia and the female reproductive organs, and attempts to bring 
about the germination of the spermatia ended . . . in failure. The sper¬ 
matia must, then, be considered function less structures, like the simi¬ 
larly named structures in the UredineaeL The ascogonia develop from 
the rapidly growing ends of ordinary hyphae: they were multinucleate in 
the earliest stages observed. The hyplia soon becomes curved and septate 
but there is a great variety in the length and in the degree of coiling. 
The base of the ascogonium can usually be traced into a vegetative 
hyplia while the other end ends freely in the mycelial mass. The asco¬ 
gonia are usually found in the neighbourhood of a stoma. The stomata 
often show projecting mycelial hyphae,*but in no case could the ascogonial 
hyplia be followed through the stoma in the form of a specially differen¬ 
tiated trichogyne. The number and size of the cells which make up the 
ascogonium are very variable. The basal cell is usually the largest and 
contains a large number of small nuclei. The majority of the other cells 
