6 4 



ASCOMYCETES 



1. Ascomata clavate or subcapitate, continuous with the stipe. 2. 

 Ascomata flat ; decurrent on both sides of the stipe ; spores rod-like. 



SPATHULARIA. 

 Ascoma capitate or hollow-discoid, usually with a free margin. 5. 



2. Spores one-celled, colorless. 3. 

 Spores 2-many-celled, with cross septa. 4. 



3. Light colored, usually yellowish or light brown ; ascomata sharply 



separated from the stipe. MITRULA. 



Bright or dark colored ; ascomata not clearly separated from the stipe. 



MlCROGLOSSUM. 



4. Spores colorless. LEPTOGLOSSUM. 

 Spores brown. GEOGLOSSUM. 



5. Spores ellipsoid. 6. 

 Spores elongate-filiform. 7- 



6. Gelatinous-gristly. LEOTIA. 

 Waxy. CUDONIELLA. 



7. Fleshy ; ascomata concave, hat-shaped, the margin free, incurved. 



CUDONIA. 

 Waxy ; ascomata discoid above, the margin adnate to the stipe. 



VlBRISSEA. 



Of the above genera we have one species in Vibrissea, two each 

 in Cudonia, Cudoniclla, and Spathularia t five in Lcotia and 

 six in Mitrula (PL 4. f. /j>). The other genera are larger and 

 may be divided into well marked sections. Geoglossum is repre- 

 sented by ten species arranged in two sections : Eugeoglossum 

 with smooth stipes, containing five species, and Trichoglossum 

 with hairy or bristly stipes, also containing five species. 



Lcptoglossitm also contains two sections : Euleptoglossum- 

 blackish, containing two- species, and Xanthoglossum t yellow- 

 ish or yellowish-brown, containing only L. lutcuin. 



Microglossum is likewise formed of two sections : 3 Eumicro- 



o 



glossum, containing the dark colored (olive-green) species, M. 

 viride, and Geoinitrula, containing the seven bright colored 

 (yellowish or reddish) species. These were all united to Mitrula 

 by Saccardo. 



Of this family only Lcotia lubrica is known to be edible. \Ye 

 have frequently seen this species growing in wet woods in Con- 

 necticut so abundant that several quarts could be gathered from 

 an area of a few square rods. 



