158 FUNGUS-FLORA. 



ANALYSIS OF THE GENERA. 



A. Spores coloured. 



Ascobolus. Spores free in the ascus. 



Saccobolus. Spores contained within a special membrane 

 in the ascus. 



B. Spores hyaline. 



* Spores globose. 

 Cubonia. 



** Spores elliptical. 

 Ascophanus. Ascus 8-spored. 

 Ryparobius. Ascus 16-many-spored. 



ASCOBOLUS. Pers. (emended). 



Ascophore sessile or narrowed below into a very short 

 stem-like base, usually gregarious, rather fleshy, soft, and 

 translucent when fresh, closed at first, then expanding, the 

 disc becoming plane or slightly convex, at length studded 

 with the tips of the projecting asci ; excipulum parenchy- 

 matous, cells of cortex polygonal, large, glabrous or pilose ; 

 asci clavate, 8-spored ; spores irregularly 2-seriate, elliptical, 

 continuous, at first hyaline, then purple, finally brown, epi- 

 spore usually rugulose at maturity ; paraphyses present. 



Ascobolus, Persoon, in Gmel., Syst., p. 1461 (in part) ; Phil., 

 Brit. Disc, p. 286 ; Sacc, S} r ll., viii. p. 514. 



Most of the species grow on dung ; a few grow on the 

 ground, on charcoal, &c. 



Distinguished by the 8 elliptical, coloured spores being 

 free in the ascus. It must be remembered that the spores 

 are in all the species, hyaline and smooth when young. 



