Müller[732] has recorded some observations on the pycnidia and
stylospores of the Strigulaceae, a family of tropical lichens inhabiting
the leaves of the higher plants. On the thallus of _Strigula elegans_
var. _tremula_ from Madagascar and from India, he found pycnidia with
stylospores of abnormal dimensions measuring 18-26 µ in length and 3 µ
in width, and with 1 to 7 cross septa. In _Strigula complanata_ var.
_genuina_ the stylospores were 2-8-septate and varied from 7-65 µ, in
length, some of the spores being thus ten times longer than others, while
the width remained the same. Müller considers that in these cases the
stylospore has already grown to a septate hypha while in the pycnidium.
As in the pycnidiospores, described later by Hedlund, the spores had
germinated by increase in length followed by septation.
The spermogonia of _Strigula_, which are exactly similar to the pycnidia
in size and structure, produce spermatia, measuring about 3 µ × 2 µ,
and it is suggested by Müller that the stylospores may represent merely
an advanced stage of development of these spermatia. Both organs were
constantly associated on the same thallus; but whereas the spermogonia
were abundant on the younger part of the thallus at the periphery, they
were almost entirely replaced by pycnidia on the older portions near the
centre, only a very few spermogonia (presumably younger pycnidial stages)
being found in that region.
Lindsay[733] has described a great many different lichen pycnidia,
but in many instances he must have been dealing with species of the
“Fungi imperfecti” that were growing in association with the scattered
granules of crustaceous lichens. There are many fungi—Discomycetes
and Pyrenomycetes—parasitic on lichen thalli, and he has, in some
cases, undoubtedly been describing their secondary pycnidial form
of fruit, which indeed may appear far more frequently than the more
perfect ascigerous form, and might easily be mistaken for the pycnidial
fructification of the lichen.
G. GENERAL SURVEY
_a._ SEXUAL OR ASEXUAL. It has been necessary to give the preceding
detailed account of these various structures—pycnidia or spermogonia—in
view of the extreme importance attached to them as the possible male
organs of the lichen plant, and, in giving the results obtained by
different workers, the terminology employed by each one has been adopted
as far as possible: those who consider them to be sexual structures call
them spermogonia; those who refuse to accept that view write of them as
pycnidia.
Tulasne, Nylander and others unhesitatingly accepted them as male
organs without any knowledge of the female cell or of any method of
fertilization. Stahl’s discovery of the trichogyne seemed to settle the
whole question; but though he had evidence of copulation between the
spermatium and the receptive cell or trichogyne he had no real record of
any sexual process.
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