ASCOBOLACEAE 141 



the fimicole habit and exserted asci and is retained as a matter of usage. However, 

 it is necessary to refer the genera without exciple to the next family, Agyriaceae, 

 which represents the stage of reduction consequent upon a more assured water 

 and food supply. 



Subfamily Ascophanae 



Spores colorless 



A. Spores globose 



1. Asci 4-spored, opening by a slit Boudierella 14:792 



2. Asci 8-spored, opening by a lid Cubonia 8:527 



B. Spores elliptic to fusoid 



1. Asci 8-spored 



a. Apothecia setose Lasiobolus 8:536, R 1096; 37 



b. Apothecia glabrous Ascophanus 8:528, R 1085; 37 



2. Asci many-spored 



a. Ascus single Thelebolus R 1105 



b. Asci several to many 



(1) Apothecia fimbriate with delicate hairs Streptotheca 10:34 



(2) Apothecia glabrous Rhyparobius R 1099; 37 



Subfamily Ascobolae 

 Spores colored 



A. Spores globose Boudiera 8:512, R 1113; 37 



B. Spores elliptic to fusoid 



1. Spores in a gelatinous mass in ascus Saccobolus 8:524, R 1115; 37 



2. Spores free in the ascus 



a. Apothecia hairy or ciliate Dasybolus 11:421 



b. Apothecia glabrous Ascobolus 8:514, R 1120; 37 



Order 13. AGYRIALES 



Apothecia reduced by the loss of the exciple, more rarely of hypothecium or 

 paraphyses also, typically convex or discoid, gelatinous to fleshy, bright-colored, 

 rarely black and carbonous to membranous, superficial, rarely erumpent; hypothe- 

 cium usually present but much reduced, parenchymic, exceptionally prosenchymic; 

 asci ovoid to clavate, paraphyses mostly present, occasionally forming an epithecium; 

 spores various. 



This is a new order characterized by the progressive reduction of the apothe- 

 cium until asci and spores alone remain. By contrast with the Gymnascales it 

 represents a highly specialized group instead of a primitive one, but as usual this 

 distinction is difficult to apply in practice. The presence of a uniform hymenium 

 is taken as the distinguishing feature of reduced forms of Discomycetes, usually 

 with the presence of paraphyses and a parenchymic hypothecium. 



On the basis of texture at least, the Agyriales are a polyphyletic order, con- 

 taining gelatinous, fleshy and membranous forms closely related to Bulgariaceae, 

 Pezizaceae, Ascobolaceae and Myriangiaceae, and probably derived from these 

 families. From the first three it is separated by the absence of exciple, though 

 in a few genera this feature is in the process of disappearing. It is best distin- 

 guished from Mjn-iangiaceae by the uniform hymenium and the regular presence 

 of genuine paraphyses, though occasional puzzling intermediates occur. 



