HELOTIUM. 263 



ated in the centre, expanding into the base of the asco- 

 phore ; asci subclavate ; spores 8, elliptical, 1-2-guttulate, 

 8-11 x 4-5 (jl; paraphyses slenderly filiform. 



On grass. Spring. 



Cups J-lJ of a line broad, about the same high ; margin 

 obtuse. (Phil.) 



Not examined. 



Helotium nitidulum. Mass. 



Scattered, stipitate, subglobose and closed, then becoming 

 cup-shaped, often irregular and nearly plane, pale tan, rather 

 firm, externally very delicately powdered with glistening 

 meal, |-1 mm. broad and high, stem short, equal, coloured 

 like the ascophore; hypothecium and excipulum minutely 

 parenchymatous, cortical cells small, irregularly hexagonal, 

 elongated in the direction from stem to margin, almost 

 hyaline ; asci small, narrowly cylindric-clavate, apex slightly 

 narrowed, base short, stout, 8-spored ; spores irregularly 

 2-seriate, hyaline, smooth, continuous, straight or slightly 

 curved, narrowly elliptical, ends rather acute, 7-10 X 3 /x; 

 paraphyses hyaline, slender, very slightly thickened at the 

 tip. 



Peziza nitidula, B. & Br., Ann. Nat. Hist., n. 570, ser. ii., 

 vol. vii. p. 15. 



Hymenoscypha nitidula, Phil., Brit. Disc , p. 142. 



Phialea nitidida, Sacc, Syll., viii. n. 1115. 



On dead leaves of Aira caespitosa. Winter. 



A minute species, nestling in the furrows of the leaf, and 

 characterised more especially by the delicate, glistening 

 meal on the outside of the ascophore. 



Type specimen examined. 



Helotium flexuosum. Mass. 

 Gregarious or scattered, subsessile or narrowed to a very 

 short, central, stem-like base, closed at first but soon becom- 

 ing quite plane, the margin often flexuous and the surface 

 more or less undulated; disc dull orange-yellow or rarely 

 clear deep yellow, under surface smooth, yellowish white, 

 ^— 1^ mm. across ; excipulum and hypothecium hyaline, 

 consisting of stout, closely interwoven hyphae, running out 

 into a small-celled parenchymatous cortex ; asci narrowly 

 cylindric-clavate, apex somewhat narrowed, 8-spored; spores 



