An Experimental Study of Alternation of Generations in Allomyces Arbusculus

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Abstract
Allomyces arbusculus, North Carolina strain, was brought into culture and was experimented upon in an effort to determine what effect drying and nutrition might have on the sexual-asexual ratio of the products of its resistant sporangia. Previously unreported methods of culture and examination are described. Experimental results demonstrate that when resistant sporangia are air-dried for 24 days the products of these sporangia are exclusively sexual and this condition will remain unchanged even when the resistant sporangia are brought to dehiscence in rich nutrient. The products of resistant sporangia dried for 18 days are predominantly sexual, but not exclusively so when cultured in rich nutrient. The products of resistant sporangia dried 12 days will be predominantly asexual in rich nutrient and the products of resistant sporangia dried only 6 days will not only be predominantly asexual in rich nutrient, but will produce some asexual plants in weak nutrient. It is concluded that drying and nutrition affect the sexual-asexual ratio of the products of resistant sporangia. It is suggested that the common practice of drying resistant sporangia for several weeks before inoculating into water or weak nutrient cultures may have been largely responsible for the fact that the products of resistant sporangia have, heretofore, been reported as being preponderantly sexual.

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