An Analysis of Spore Discharge in Sordaria

Sordaria fimicola can develop mature perithecia from which sporesare discharged when grown in darkness or in light. Under conditionsof alternating dark and light (12 hrs.: 12 hrs.) each day, sporedischarge is periodic with a low rate during the dark period,succeeded by a gradual rise to a relatively high rate in thelight period followed by a decline before the onset of the nextdark period. There is no trace of an endogenous rhythm. Transferfrom darkness to light always leads to an increase in the rateof discharge, and from light to dark to a decrease. The heightof the peak of discharge rate attained in light following adark period seems to be related to the length of the precedingdark period. Experiments with light of different colours but of roughly thesame energy value show that it is the blue rays that are mainlyeffective. From cultures of filter-paper yeast-extract mediuman orange pigment can be extracted with a maximum absorption,in the visible spectrum, at 470 mµ. It is possible thatthis is important in connexion with the sensitivity of the fungusto blue light.