Classification of Ohio Ascomycetes 
7 
known more or less completely in a considerable number of non-algi- 
colous species, but in only one algicolous species (Bachman 2). Though 
the results are fragmentary and some of them unreliable, one who con¬ 
siders carefully even the small portion of the research that can be dis¬ 
cussed in this paper can scarcely doubt that the ascomycetes form a 
natural group of fungi. 
Through the researches of several botanists, we know something 
regarding the sexual reproductive tracts and sexual reproduction in 
lichens (Bachman 1 and 2; Baur 4 and 5; Darbishire 2; Funfstiick 37 
and 38; Krabbe 42 and 43; Lindau 44 and 45; Nienburg 50; Schulte 
55; Stahl 59; Sturgis 60; Wahlberg 63; Wolff 66; and others). The 
many-celled archicarp, with its long, many-celled trichogyne and its coiled, 
septate ascogonium, is quite uniform and recalls conditions found in 
higher non-lichen ascomycetes, especially certain members of the 
PezizaleSy the Hypocreales, the Sphaerialcs, and the Lahoulheniales. 
One can imagine readily enough how a one-celled ascogonium sur¬ 
mounted by a one-celled trichogyne, as in Pyronema (Harper 39), 
Claussen 16) may be related to the complicated, multicellular, and 
imperfectly understood female reproductive area of certain lichens and 
other ascomycetes (Fig. 1, et seq.) ; but the simpler female tracts usually 
occur with undoubted antheridia, and these cannot be homologized so 
easily with the spermagonia usually found in ascomycetes which possess 
the more highly differentiated female reproductive tracts. Hence, we 
may also suspect, among those non-lichen ascomycetes that have sperma¬ 
gonia and the more complicated female reproductive tracts, a close rela¬ 
tionship with certain of the polyphyletic lichens. Rather unexpectedly, 
only part of the Pezizales examined have furnished types of reproductive 
tracts so nearly like those of the gymnocarpous lichens examined as have 
several species of angiocarpous, non-lichen ascomycetes. While the 
reproductive tracts of a large majority of the Pezizales and the Lecano- 
rales remain tO' be studied, we may still expect to find many closely related 
forms connecting these two orders; but, for the present, usual similarity 
in the topography of the reproductive areas has been one factor which 
has led to placing the gymnocarpous lichens, for most part, in a con¬ 
tinuous series. Future studies may require more or less modification of 
this method. 
The discussions to follow will further elucidate this matter and will 
show especially a striking and rather surprising similarity between the 
reproductive tracts of the Lecanorales and the pyrenomycetes in general. 
Polystigma rtibrum, whose archicarp has been described and figured 
