^O ASCOMYCETES ' 



contains curious stalked blackish bodies growing on manure 

 mainly in the Southern States. 



LITERATURE. 



Saccardo. Sylloge Fungorum, i : 88-754 ; 2 : 1-446 ; 672- 

 720 ; 9 : 442-940 ; II : 271-353, 382-385. 



Lindau. Die natiirlichen Pflanzenfamilien, ii; 384-491. 



Winter & Rehm. Rabenhorst's Kryptogamenflora Deutsch- 

 land, u. s. w. i^ : 152-893. 



Tulasne. Selecta Fungorum Carpologia, 2 : 



Ellis & Everhart. North American Pyrenomycetes, 122-673. 

 1892. 



Berlese. Tcones Fungorum (current). 1891 — . 



Ellis & Everhart. Synopsis of the North American species of 

 Xylaria and Poronia. Jour. Mycol. 3: 97-102, 109-113. 1887. 



Synopsis of the North American species of Hypoxylon 



and Nummularia. Jour. Mycol. 4 : 38-44, 66-70, 85-93, 109- 

 113. 1888 ; 5 : 19-23. 1889. 



Order 9. LABOULBENIALES. 



The Laboulbeniales form a group of fungi not closely related to 

 any other orders. They are parasitic on various species of insects, 

 more commonly beetles, and are exceedingly minute. From 

 their apparent sexual method of reproduction and the semi-aquatic 

 habits of some of the species they appear to find their nearest re- 

 lations with some of the red algae. They are connected with 

 their host by means of a dark- colored horny piece which serves 

 both as a hold-fast and as an organ of nutrition. The fungus 

 consists of a somewhat club-shaped receptacle made up of a few 

 cells and bearing at its end one or more perithecia, in which the 

 asci are developed by successive sprouting from basal cells. The 

 systematic relations of the order are not well known. They have 

 been made a subject of special study by Dr. Roland Thaxter, of 

 Cambridge, Mass., who has brought to light many more forms 

 from this country than are known from all the rest of the world. 

 Nearly 150 species are now known, mainly through his studies. 

 Of the twenty-eight recognized genera Dr. Thaxter has proposed 

 twentv-four. 



