5 6 ASCOMYCETES 



2. Ascomata hairy outside. 3. 

 Ascomata smooth outside. PLICARIELLA. 



3. Hairs long, sharp-pointed ; ascoma bright colored. SPHAEROSPORA. 

 Hairs fine, short ; ascoma dark colored. PSEUDOPLECTANIA. 



4. Ascomata hairy. 5. 

 Ascomata smooth. 6. 



5. Ascomata circular. LACHNEA. 

 Ascomata stellately lobed, partly underground. SARCOSPHAERA. 



6. Ascomata regularly saucer-shaped or cup-shaped, circular. PEZIZA.* 

 Ascomata stellately lobed partly under ground. SARCOSPHAERA. 

 Ascomata irregular, dimidiate or ear- shaped. OTIDEA. 



Of the above genera, Lachnea and Peziza especially contain 

 many species. 



Family 3. Ascobolaceae. 



The Ascobolaceae are peculiar in their habit of discharging 

 their asci so as to more widely disseminate their spores. They 

 are commonly found growing on old cow dung and similar loca- 

 tions. Our genera can be quite readily distinguished : 



I. Spores hyaline, spherical. CUBONIA. 



Spores hyaline, ellipsoid. 2. 



Spore sat length violet or brownish. 5. 



"The large genus Peziza is made up of several groups of species (sub- 

 genera), which are often regarded sa genera. They may be separated as 

 follows : 



1. Juice colored and milky, exuding when wounded. GALACTINIA. 

 Juice watery, colorless. ' 2. 



2. Asci blue when treated with iodine. 3. 

 Asci not becoming blue when treated with iodine. 4. 



3. Ascomata sessile. PLICARIA. 

 Ascomata on a stalk. TAZETTA. 



4. Spores smooth or irregularly tuberculate or warty. 5. 

 Spores at length covered with reticulations. ALEURIA. 



5. Ascomata entirely sessile. HUMARIA. 

 Ascomata more or less stalked. 6. 



6. Stalk short, thick, smooth 7. 

 Stalk short, fluted or grooved. ACETABULA. 

 Stalk long, thin, mealy or rough tuberculate outside. MACROPODIA. 



7. Ascomata goblet-shaped or cup-shaped. GEOPYXIS. 

 Ascomata at length becoming spread out like a disc. DISCINA. 



