REVISIONS OF CEYLON FUNGI. 423 



58. — Peziza epispartia B. & Br. 



Peziza [Discina) epispartia B. & Br., Fungi of Ceylon, 

 No. 922, Journ. Linn. Soc, XIV., p. 103. 



Peziza (Discina) radiculosa B. & Br., Fungi of Ceylon, 

 No. 923, Journ. Linn. Soc, XIV., p. 103. 



Peziza [Humaria) flavotingens B. & Br., Fungi of Ceylon, 

 No. 933, Journ. Linn. Soc, XIV., p. 104. 



Sarcoscypha radiculosa (B. & Br.) Sacc, Sylloge Fungoruni, 

 VIII., p. 155. 



This species grows from termite nests, and has not been 

 found in any other situation. When an old termite comb 

 is placed under a bell glass and allowed to become rather diy, 

 so that the growth of the usual Xylaria is inhibited, it develops 

 small subglobose tufts of red or yellow h5rph8e ; these are 

 about 0*3 mm. diameter, often confluent. In " The Fungi of 

 certain Termite Nests" (Ann. Perad., III., p. 248), it was 

 stated that these tufts were a Cephalosporium. This statement 

 is an error ; it has since been determined that the tufts are 

 always barren until tliey produce the Peziza and that the 

 Cephalosporium is intrusive. With a greater degree of 

 moisture, the red or yellow hyphse spread completely over the 

 comb and chmb up the sides of the bell glass. They then 

 develop small spheres, the upper half of which sphts off as 

 a hemispherical cap, leaving a sessile Peziza. This Peziza 

 has also been found to arise from termite nests after the 

 inhabitants have been killed by injecting sulphur dioxide and 

 arsenical fumes into the nest : the yellow mycelium then 

 spreads upwards through the soil and produces the fructi- 

 fication, in clusters or singly, on the surface. In one instance, 

 where it was found developing from a deserted termite nest 

 in a densely-shaded shrubbery, the yellow mycelium ran freely 

 over and among dead leaves and for a height of about a foot 

 up. the trunks of neighbouring trees, covering altogether an 

 area of several square yards. Such an extensive development 

 of superficial mycelium only occurs in very damp situations ; 

 in drier situations, as in one instance where it grew from 

 a nest beneath a bungalow verandah, the fructification is 

 formed as soon as the mycelium reaches the surface. It 

 lias been found on several occasions, and in no instance was 



