In several species of Dermatea the stylospores and spermatia co-exist, but they are disseminated before the appearance of the ascigerous receptacles, yet they are produced upon a common stroma not unlike that of Tubercularia.
The same observer detected also amongst specimens of the Dacrymyces some of a darker and reddish tint, always bare of spores or spermatia on the surface, and these presented a somewhat different structure.
It is by no means improbable that spermatia do exist extensively amongst fungi, but we must wait in patience for the history of their relationship.
Tulasne have supposed that the spermogonia represented the male sex, and that the spermatiawere analogous to spermatozoids.
The spermatia are very small, spherical, and smooth, scarcely equalling ยท002 mm.
The spores which produce spermatia are not at all apt to germinate, whilst those which did not produce spermatia germinated freely.
The experiments performed with the spermatia which do not germinate, and with the spermogonia of the Uredines, do not, at any rate, appear to justify the reputed masculine or fecundative nature of these organs.
The spermatia were discharged, and in two months from the first sowing, the peridia of Roestelia appeared, and were developed.
From these thespermatia are expelled long before the maturity of the spores.
When the spermatia are expelled, the stroma thickens for the production of asci and sporidia, which are afterwards developed during the autumn and winter.
P] Tulasne found it impossible to make these corpuscles germinate, and in all essential particulars they agreed with thespermatia found in ascomycetous fungi.
Professor de Bary cautiously refrains from accepting spermatia other than as doubtful or at least uncertain sexual bodies.
The most reasonable interpretation of the spermatia is that they are abortive male cells.
B represents the same plant, discharging its spores and spermatia through a small opening in the cell walls.
The spermatia differ from the spores and young plants in being smaller, and of possessing the power of moving and tumbling about rapidly, while the spores of young plants are larger and quiescent.
In the other view the spermatia are the male sexual cells and thus are rightly named; it should, however, be pointed out that this was not the view of Tulasne, though we owe to him the designation which carries with it the sexual significance.
As the remarks on the nature of the spermatia show, the question of the sexuality of the lichens has been hotly disputed in common with that of the rest of the Ascomycetes.
The spermogonia open by a small pore at the apex, towards which the sterigmata converge and through which the spermatia escape (fig.
C, Cladonia novae Angliae, Delise; sterigmata with spermatia from the spermogonium.
The most satisfactory view in the present state of our knowledge seems to be that the spermatia are male cells which, while retaining their fertilizing action in a few cases are now mainly functionless.
For the germination of the spermatia in nature there is only the observation of Hedlund, that in Catillaria denigrata and C.
It is probable, however, that in the majority of cases the ascogonia develop without normal fertilization, as is necessarily the case where the ascogonia have no trichogynes or the spermatia are absent.
Its wall from which proceed sterigmata with rod-like spermatia (s).
The question is one very difficult to settle owing to the fact that the majority of spermatia appear to be functionless.
The resemblance of the spermatia and spermogonia to those of Uredineae should be pointed out, where also there is considerable evidence for their original sexual nature, though they appear in that group to be functionless in all cases.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "spermatia" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
