MOLLISIA. 181 



Cooke, "Handbk.," 2056. Peziza nidulusGrev., "Flo. 

 Edin.," p. 420 ; Johnst., "Flo. Berw," ii. p. 149. 



On dead stems of Umbelliferce. 



Cups very minute, generally sessile, but sometimes 

 subsessile ; nearly the same colour throughout, and so 

 nearly the shade of the dead stem on which they grow 

 as to be hardly distinguishable. The dry specimens 

 show no hairs, but are fimbriate on the margin, owing to 

 the unequal length of the hair-like cells which adhere 

 together. 



Name After Dr. Greville. 



Near Edinburgh ! (Dr. Greville). Near Berwick, on 

 the cow-parsnip (Johnst., "Flo. Berw.," I. c.~). 



16. Mollisia atrata. (Pers.) 



Gregarious, prominent, at first nearly spherical and 

 concave, then plane, cinereous or fuscescent, perpen- 

 dicularly rugose ; margin whitish ; hymenium at first 

 whitish, becoming cinereous ; asci fusiform-clavate or 

 cylindraceo-clavate ; sporidia 8, fusiform, 8 10 x Ifj. ; 

 paraphyses filiform, slender. 



Peziza atrata Pers., " Syn. Fung.," p. 660; "Myco. 

 Eur," i. p. 306; Fries, " Sys. Myco.," ii. p. 148; "Eng. 

 Flo.," v. p. 207 ; Berk., " Out].," p. 371 ; Karst., " Fez. et 

 Ascob.," p. 40; "Mon. Fez.," p. 159; Cooke, " Handbk," 

 2112; Fat., p. 38, f. 92. Peziza atratulaNyl., "Fez. 

 Form.," p. 61. Mollisia atrata Gill., " Champ.," p. 127. 



Exs. Desm, "Crypt. Fr," ed. i. 604, ed. ii. 123; 

 Karst, "Fung. Fenn.," 822 ; Fckl., 1869; Roumg., "Fung. 

 Gal," 450. 



On dead herbaceous stems. Autumn. 



It is to my mind very doubtful whether the plant 

 generally accepted by authors, and described above, is the 

 true plant of Persoon. That his plant grew on trunks 

 he distinctly states, while most authors of to-day accept 

 one or other of several closely allied plants that grow on 

 herbaceous stems and leaves. It would only tend to con- 

 fusion, however, to disturb this state of things ; we have, 

 therefore, followed Dr. Karsten's view of the species. 



