468 FUNGUS-FLOKA. 



The spores are figured as narrowly elliptical, ends acute, 

 and minutely asperate by Cooke in " Mycographia," pi. 188. 

 Phillips also describes the spores as " fusiform-elliptic ; 

 becoming slightly asperate." I have not met with this 

 form of spore, neither have I observed the asperate surface. 

 The diagnosis given above agrees with specimens in Cooke's 

 Fung. Brit., 289. 



VEKPA. Swartz. (figs. 19-21, p. 188.) 



Ascophore stipitate, campanulate. attached to the tip of the 

 stem and hanging down like a bell, surrounding but free 

 from the side of the stem, regular, smooth or slightly 

 wrinkled but not ribbed, persistent, thin, excipulum formed 

 of interwoven, septate hyphae, hymenium entirely covering 

 the outer surface of the ascophore ; asci cylindrical, 8-spored ; 

 spores elliptical, continuous, hyaline or nearly so, 1-seriate ; 

 paraphyses septate ; stem elongated, stuffed. 



Yerpa, Swartz, Yet. Acad. Handl. 1815, p. 129 ; Phil., Brit. 

 Disc, p. 19 ; Sacc, Syll., viii. p. 29. 



Very closely allied to Helvetia ; distinguished by the asco- 

 phore being more t regular in form, and more evidently de- 

 flexed round the apex of the stem, which it surrounds like a 

 thimble on a finger, and is quite free from the stem except at 

 the apex. 



The species grow on the ground in spring. 



Verpa digitaliformis. Pers., Myc. Eur., p. 203, t. 7, 

 figs. 1-3; Phil., Brit. Disc, p. 19 ; Sacc, Syll.. viii. n. 87 

 (figs. 19-21, p. 188). 



Ascophore stipitate, campanulate, apex obtuse, rugulose, 

 umber, pale and minutely downy underneath, l'5-2'5 cm. 

 high, thin, excipulum composed of septate, hyaline, intri- 

 cately interwoven hyphae, 6-7 /x thick ; asci cylindrical, apex 

 rounded, 8-spored ; spores obliquely 1-seriate, continuous, 

 elliptical, hyaline or with a yellow tinge, 21-2 -i x 12-14 /a; 

 paraphyses stout, septate, tips thickened, brownish, 7-8 /a 

 thick ; stem, 5-7 cm. long, 1 cm. thick, equal or slightly 

 ventricose, loosely stuffed, whitish, ornamented with very 

 minute, concentrically arranged squamules. 



