THE MORPHOLOGY AND CYTOLOGY OF PREUSSIA FUNICULATA

The vegetative nuclei of Preussia funiculata (Preuss) Fuckel appear to divide in two ways. One is very similar to mitosis in higher plants except that no typical metaphase is present. The other consists of elongated nuclei splitting longitudinally into two halves. Ascocarp development is similar to that found in the Pleosporales. A stroma originates in an intercalary position on a hypha. It increases in size, and the outer cell layers differentiate to form the wall. The ascogenous system arises from multinucleate ascogonial cells scattered throughout the centrum. These give rise to large, lobate, multinucleate cells which in time form asci by means of croziers. The mature centrum contains a distinct hymenium and paraphysoids. The haploid chromosome number appears to be 12.