Durand: Studies in North American Discomycetes 353 



sterilized bean stems, and dead oak stems and bark. On the bean 

 stems growth was very slow, but after a week, mycelial threads 

 could be seen extending into the liquid at the bottom of the test- 

 tube. Soon these formed a felty mass on the surface of the 

 water. After two weeks minute dark points appeared on the bean 

 stems. These rapidly increased in size, until they assumed all the 

 appearances of normal Graphium gigantcum, except that they 

 were smaller than those grown under natural conditions. This 

 was to be expected. Examination with the microscope revealed 

 conidia in great numbers, and of the normal form, borne on 

 conidiophores likewise normal. No growth occurred on the oak 

 bark. The original cultures of the conidia failed to produce 

 germination. Attempts to repeat the germination of the asco- 

 spores also failed. As yet after more than three months no 

 ascomata have appeared. 



These cultures seem to remove all doubt that Graphium gigan- 

 teum (Pk.) Sacc, and the ascomycete forming the genus Holwaya 

 are different stages in the development of the same plant. The 

 question now arises, What shall this plant be called ? The first 



name applied to the ascus stage was leptosperma Peck. If that 

 name be applied our plant would be called Holwaya leptosperma 

 (Pk.) Durand. But if the first name applied to the plant in any of 

 its forms be used, it should be called Holwaya gigantea (Pk.) 

 Durand. The latter combination seems the more logical, and has 

 the sanction of precedent. But what is the systematic position of 

 the plant ? It has already been placed in three different families, 

 viz.: Pezizaceae, Patellariaceae and Bulgariaceae. Saccardo placed 

 it in the last-named group on account of its " gelatinous stratum M 

 mentioned in the first description of Bulgaria ophiobolus Ellis- I 

 have examined a large number of plants, both fresh and dry, but I 

 cannot detect any indication of a gelatinous nature ; certainly none 

 such as exists in Bulgaria or Coryne. On the contrary the sub- 

 stance is rather a fleshy-mealy when fresh, becoming hard and 

 brittle when dry. The flesh is dark brown in color. A section 

 shows that the paraphyses are longer than the asci, and cohere at 

 the tips into a thick black epithecium covering the hymeniurm 

 These characters locate it in the Patellariaceae where Dr. Peck 

 first placed it. This, I think, is its proper position. Holwaya is 



