NIDULARIALES 381 



At maturity the epiphragm breaks, and the peridioles become 

 exposed. 



Cvathus is a large gemis with some 60 described species. In 

 general, it is similar to Crucibulum in having an epiphragm and 

 numerous peridioles, each attached by a funiculus. Within the 

 wall of the peridium, however, there is a central layer of pseudo- 

 parenchymatous tissue, so that the wall is composed of 3 layers 

 rather than 1. The basidiospores are sessile, although in Cru- 

 cibulum they are borne on long sterigmata. Frequently in Cy- 

 athus there are more than 4 spores on each basidium [Martin 

 (1927)]. Within the peridioles the spores are interspersed with 

 numerous sterile threads. 



The epiphragm is present also in Nidula, but the peridioles are 

 not provided with a funiculus. In Nidularia, with numerous 

 species, the funiculus and epiphragm are both lacking. The 

 fruiting bodies are rounded at the top, rather than flattened, and 

 at maturity open by irregular slits in the peridial wall instead of 

 by the mechanism of an epiphragm. The development of the 

 peridioles, basidia, and spores of Nidularia has been investigated 

 by Fries (1910, 1911), who finds the basidiospores are typically 

 binucleate. 



The dissemination of spores in the bird's-nest fungi was not 

 understood for many years. Apparently Martin (1927) was the 

 first to suggest that falhng raindrops can spatter the peridioles 

 out of the cup-shaped peridia and thus eventually effect the dis- 

 semination of spores. Diehl (1941) showed that a supposedly 

 imperfect fungus, occurring on camellia leaves and formerly 

 known as Leptostrovia camel liae, is in reality Cyathzis stercoreus, 

 the peridioles of which have adhered to the leaves. Dodge 

 (1941) reported the presence of peridioles on the upper surfaces 

 of leaves 10 to 15 ft above the ground and concluded that the 

 peridioles must be discharged with considerable violence. The 

 spores, eventually freed by decay of the peridiole wall, germinate 

 to form a dicaryotic mycelium. 



LITERATURE CITED 



Cunningham, G. H., "A revision of the New Zealand Nidulariales or 

 'bird's-nest fungi,' " Trans. Proc. New Zealand Inst., 55: 59-66, 1924. 



Diehl, W. W., "The taxonomy of Zenker's Leptostrovia cajfielliae,'' Mycol., 

 55:215-219, 1941. 



