99 
for a space of two years, in fact, until, ns in case of Dacryomyces , they 
reached unmanageable dimensions. The following are some of Bre- 
feld’s conclusions: 
The Basidiomycetes separate naturally into two divisions, Protobasi- 
diomycetes with divided basidia, and Auiobasidiomycetes with undivided 
basidia. 
The forms of Protobasidiomycetes subdivide into three characteristic 
families. (See below.) The forms of Autobasidiomycetes include the 
Hymenomycetes and Gasteromycetes of earlier classifications. 
The compound sporophore bearing the basidia is of non-sexual origin 
and nature. 
There is no evidence of sexual reproduction in any stage iu any mem¬ 
ber of this group. 
The Basidiomycetes have been thought to be destitute or nearly so of 
pleomorpliy. The actual case is quite the contrary. They are as much 
inclined to pleomorphism as any class of fungi, not excepting Ascomy- 
cetes. 
In Protobasidiomycetes conidia are of almost universal occurrence. 
They are borne either on separate conidiopliores, on coremia, or on 
conidial layers. Even pycnidia occur in Craterocolia cerasi. In certain 
cases conidia may also propagate by budding in yeast form e. g. spe¬ 
cies of Tremella. Iu Autobasidiomycetes conidia also occur, but are 
somewhat less frequent. 
Aside from conidia there are other associate spore forms, the peculiar 
Chlamydospores. In simplest form they occur as the well-known 
“ oidia,” but they also appear in other and higher forms which occur 
either singly or in masses like sporophores or like conidiopkores. These 
Chlamydospores have not yet been found in Protobasidiomycetes , but 
in most families of Autobasidiomycetes are very widespread in Oidium 
form, less common under more highly developed forms. In some in¬ 
stances entire mycelia assumed the Oidium form and propagated re¬ 
peatedly like u Oidium lactis nor could the author induce them to 
assume any other form by artificial cultures in nutrient solutions. In 
the genera Nyctalis , Fistulina , and Oligoporus (Ptychogaster) highly 
developed chlamydospores are particularly abundant. 
The discovery of these associate spore forms gives a peculiar char¬ 
acter to this whole class of fungi and is extremely important in a mor¬ 
phological sense, not only for the arrangement of the several portions 
of the class, but also as determining its relations to other classes. 
Heretofore the basidia and basidiospores were ot small value morpho¬ 
logically. They could not be compared with auy other spore form. 
The conidia are the most essential for comparison. The chlamydospores 
are non-sexual intercalary forms. For the explanation and understand¬ 
ing of the basidia and Basidiomycetes they are of no importance. 
The basidia are also conidiopliores, but with this distinction, they 
