LYMAN: STUDIES OF HYMENOMYCETES. 
129 
is well illustrated by his own account (’ 83 , heft 5, p. 68) of the discovery 
of smut sprout cells in a majority of his cultures after a fructification 
of corn smut had been dropped in the room. 
Review of Present Knowledge of Polymorphism among the 
Basidiomycetes. 
In the following review, Brefeld’s division of the Basidiomycetes 
into Protobasidiomycetes and Autobasidiomycetes will be followed, 
the former including the Uredineae, the Auriculariineae, the Tre- 
mellineae, and the angioearpic Pilacraceae; the latter including the 
forms usually grouped under the Hymenomycetes and the Gastero- 
mycetes. A very brief statement will be given as to the extent of 
polymorphism in the Protobasidiomycetes and the Gasteromycetes, 
followed by a more detailed summary in the case of the Hymenomy¬ 
cetes. References will be made to such papers as the writer himself 
has seen. 
Protobasidiomycetes. 
Polymorphism is well developed among the members of this group. 
Typical oidia and chlamydospores have not been found, but yeast-like 
cells or conidia are practically universal. Three types of polymor¬ 
phism may be recognized: that of the Uredineae, that of the Auri¬ 
culariineae and Tremellineae, and that of the Pilacraceae. 
The Uredineae possess polymorphism of a very highly developed 
character, and of a type quite unlike that shown by any other group 
of Basidiomycetes. The rusts are so far removed in this respect from 
the Hymenomycetes under discussion that it is obviously not im¬ 
portant or advisable to attempt to discuss in this paper the many 
interesting problems connected with their life histories. 
The Auriculariineae and Tremellineae regularly produce imperfect 
spores, according to the researches of Brefeld (’ 88 ), Moller (’ 95 ), 
and others. These spores are usually clusters of conidia or bud 
cells formed upon the germinating basidiospore, upon the mycelium, 
within the hymenium or other parts of the fructification, or even in 
specially formed pycnidia-like cavities, as in Craterocolla cerasi 
(Schum.) Bref. (Brefeld, ’88, pi. 6). Indications of a bud-cell nature 
