Classification of Ohio Ascomycetes 
11 
Fraser (36) found a one-celled ascogonium surmounted by a several- 
•celled trichogyne (Fig. 2). The cells of the female reproductive tract 
are multinucleate, and the conditions may be intermediate between those 
found in Pyronema (Harper 39 and Claussen 16) and those well 
known in lichens. In Cutting’s (19) discussion of results obtained in a 
study of Ascophanus carneus, it appears that the archicarp consists of a 
multicellular ascogonium and a multicellular trichogyne comparable to 
those of lichens. Two recent researches show a strong resemblance 
between the sex organs of lichens and non-lichen discomycetes. Miss 
Bachman’s results (1 and 2) in a member of the Collcmaceae (Fig. 6) 
and those of Dodge (23) in Ascobolus carhonarius (Fig. 7) furnish 
striking resemblances which, if later found to occur often in both algi- 
colous and non-algicolous discomycetes, will demonstrate a much closer 
relationship between certain gymnocarpous lichens and the PcAnalcs than 
we are at present showing in our classification. There is good reason for 
believing that, in many supposed apogamous lichens and in others as well, 
internal trichogynes and internal spermatia (antheridia?) may occur, 
and that further studies will give results similar to those obtained by 
these workers. Among the lichens, some of the promising plants are 
•other members of the Collemaceae, some of the lichens supposed to have 
degenerate reproductive tracts and apogamy, and members of the Gyalec- 
taceae and the Lecideaceae, which are probably close relatives of the 
Collemaceae. 
The various results concerning sexual reproduction among ascomy¬ 
cetes recounted above and others not considered herein surely lend color 
to the supposition that the ascomycetes are monophyletic; but the diffi¬ 
culty of homologizing the various types of male reproductive organs still 
remains, somewhat bridged, however, by types of male organs apparently 
intermediate between spermatia and antheridia, and suggesting a possible 
relationship with conidia as well. It has been suggested by some workers 
that all multicellular ascogonia in ascomycetes are post-fertilization con¬ 
ditions, but the evidence is against this view. The multicellular 
structures that arise after fertilization from a one-celled ascogonium in 
such ascomycetes as the Erysibaceae, Gymnoascus, and Ceratostoma seem 
rather to represent ascogenous hyphse. If this be true and the ascogonia 
of lichens and certain other ascomycetes be really many-celled, such post¬ 
fertilization areas cannot be homologous with these muticellular asco¬ 
gonia. It will be seen that this discussion is made with allowance for 
lack of knowledge, in most instances, whether one cell or more than one 
of the coil of the archicarp constitutes the ascogonium. 
