508 MR. M. C. COOKE ON THE STRUCTURE 
The Structure and Affinity of Spheria pocula, Schweinitz. 
By M. C. Cooks, A.LS. 
[Read January 17, 1884.] 
(Puare XLVII.) 
Ir has always been to me a greater pleasure to clear from obscu- 
rities, and illustrate by new observations, the dubious or little- 
known species of old authors, than to propose new species or new 
genera, although circumstances so often compel me to the latter 
course. The special instance which I desire now to place before 
this Society is a species described by Schweinitz, and endorsed by 
Fries, of which the fructification has been hitherto unknown or 
disregarded, and called by him Spheria pocula. The earliest re- 
cord I find is the description by Schweinitz himself in the ‘Journal 
of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia’ for 1825 
(vol. v. p. 7), in the following words :—“ Spheria (Poronia) pocula, 
L. v. S. Resembling an inverted Peziza, bursting fasciculately 
from beneath the epidermis, showing 2—4 pedicellate, pendulous 
cupulas in a bunch, the margin of the cupula bent in and thick, 
the disk flat and pruinose; colour of the whole fungus white, 
tinged with brown; size of each cupula about one or two lines. 
The perithecia are small, oblong, lutescent, crowded in a single 
tier (monosticha), totally immersed in the pulverulently pruinose 
disk, with black and scarcely prominent ostiola ; substance inter- 
nally suberose, albescent ; externally, the cupule and proportion- 
ably thick stipes into which each is contracted are somewhat 
squamose or furfuraceous (plate ii. fig. 6). A most remarkable 
species communicated to me by Dr. Torrey, bursting from be- 
neath the epidermis of Fraxinus. It is strictly of this section, 
and the only one, besides the European Poronia, which I consider 
genuine." 
Subsequently, that is in 1828, Fries published a brief diagnosis 
of this same species in his * Elenchus (vol. ii. p. 60) under the 
name of Spherta ( Poronia) pocula, Torrey, without quoting the 
above, which probably he had never seen, and citing Torrey, not 
Schweinitz, as the authority. The brief description was probably 
drawn up by himself from specimens communicated to him, per- 
haps by Dr. Torrey. 
In the ‘Synopsis Fungorum, published by Schweinitz in 
1834 (p. 189), the following and more detailed description is 
given :— 
