MDULARIACKAF. 175 



Under ordinary powers of the microscope the almost closed lumens of these thick-walled 

 threads have the appearance of delicate filaments running among the spores. Minute, 

 amorphous granules are also found in abundance. The hyaline, sclerotic layer, com- 

 posing the greater part of the wall, is composed of crumpled and distorted cell units 

 with very thick walls. In Cyutlius these units do not separate when crushed but break 

 up into irregular masses and bits of cells; in Crucibulum they separate in great part when 

 crushed and the individual cells can be easily seen and drawn. For other differences 

 in structure see under Crucibulum vulgare. 



The spores of this genus show the remarkable peculiarity of carrying on a large 

 part of their growth after the basidia that produced them have entirely disappeared. 

 When the spores are about half grown or less, the basidia become empty and gelatinize, 

 leaving the spores embedded in the gelatinous matrix mentioned above. As shown in 

 several figures on plates 122 and 123, the threads producing the matrix can be seen to 

 wrap about the spores in large numbers. It is obvious that these threads furnish the 

 nutrition necessary for the post-basidial growth of the spores. This remarkable con- 

 dition is found also to a somewhat less degree in Pisolithus and Scleroderma, which see. 



At the Washington meeting of the Botanical Society of America (Dec. 1926). 

 Prof. George W. Martin gave a paper on the basidia of the Nidulariaceae in which he 

 brought out this fact. Our work on the subject had been completed two years earlier. 



In addition to the species listed below, Miss White includes from our territory C. 

 intermedins, referring to it a plant from Delaware. Other collections of this species are 

 from the tropics, and from Miss White's description the Delaware plants could readily 

 be referred to C. striates. For C. rufipes see discussion under C. stercoreus. 



Key to the Species 



Cups distinctly striate inside but not outside; spores 8.3-10.4 x 15-20.5^ C. striatus (p. 175) 



Cups distinctly striate both inside and outside, at least after removal of the hairy surface; spores 11-20.3 



x 22-40/n C. Poeppigii (p. 177) 



Cups even inside 



Outer surface covered with matted, woolly hairs 

 Mouth hardly if at all fimbriate 



Spores 11.4-14.8 x 15-18.5^ (8-10 x 10-14/i, Miss White); outer surface of cup dark 



chestnut brown C. rugispermus (p. 178) 



Spores 18-29 x 20-31^; outer surface of cup soiled drab to paler; cup very slender 



C. Lesueurii (p. 179) 

 Spores larger, 18-30 x 22-35/*; outer surface of cup tawny to gray brown or paler 



C. stercoreus (p. 177) 



Mouth strongly fimbriate; spores very large, 25-35 x 27-48/x C. melanospermus (p. 179) 



Outer surface comparatively smooth, with fine appressed hairs; spores 5-7.4 x 8.6-12m 



C. vernicosus (p. 180) 



Cyathus striatus Willd. 



Cyathia hirsuta (Schaeff.) White 



Plates 98, 99 and 121 



Plants long goblet-shaped, with a short stem, 8-12 mm. high and 6-8 mm. broad, 

 growing on twigs, branches, dead leaves, etc., with the stem sometimes attached to the 

 substratum by a dark cinnamon-brown mycelial pad, as in several other species; outer 

 surface tawny when quite fresh, becoming more brown, the darker specimens dark 

 brown (raw sienna), covered with coarse shaggy hairs, often obscurely or when the 



