298 BRITISH DISCOMYCETES. 



covered externally with an excessively subtle white 

 pruina ; hymenium opaque, often paler ; asci elongated, 

 very large, broad, opening at the apex by a subumbonate 

 operculum; sporidia 32, hyaline, larger than in Rypa- 

 robius, elliptic, subacuminate, the young ones filled with 

 conspicuous minute drops, and surrounded singly with 

 gelatine, the mature ones naked, with one central nucleus, 

 27 X 14ju; paraphyses slender, septate, hyaline, branched 

 from the base, enveloped in hyaline gelatine. (Plate IX. 

 fig. 56.) 



Ascobolus Pelletieri Crouan, " Ann. Sc. Nat.," 1857, 

 vol. vii. p. 173, t. iv. A. f. 1-4 ; " Flo. Finn.," p. 56 ; 

 Coemans, " Not. Ascob. Belg.," p. 15; "Bull. Soc. Belg.," 

 i. p. 88 ; Kickx., " Crypt. Flan.," i. p. 477 ; Pat., p. 74, 

 f. 172. Thecotheus Pelletieri Boud., "Ascob.," p. 46, 

 t. 9, f. 22 ; Phil, and Plow., " Grevillea," x. p. 69. 



On horse-dung. It is also found on dung of cows, 

 sheep, and dogs. 



Gups i to 1 line broad. Easily recognized by the 

 large asci and numerous sporidia. 



Name After Captain Pelletier. 



Grown under glass, Bristol! (Mr. C. Bucknall). Scar- 

 borough ! (Mr. Massee). 



GENUS V. RYPAROBIUS. Boud. 



Very minute, hardly visible to the naked eye, waxy, 

 marginate, sessile ; hymenium plane ; punctate from the 

 prominent asci, when dry margin inflexed, rotundate ; 

 asci minute, but proportionately very broad, often ovate, 

 scarcely attenuated at the base ; always polysporus, 

 opening by a large convex operculum, scarcely rising 

 above the mature disc ; sporidia very minute, hya- 

 line, very numerous, never granulose within, nucleus 

 hardly visible, when mature aggregated into an oblong 

 o-lobule, but easily serjarable (Boudier, L c.). (Plate IX. 



fig. 57.) 



Distinguished from the preceding genus by the smaller 



