General Features 5 



stem and pileus. rhu disc or cup is referred to as the apothecium, 

 while the pileus is simply a modified form of the apothecium. 

 The apothecium consists of two primar\- parts, the fertile la\er 

 on the upper side of the disc or lining the cup and known as the 

 hymenium and the sterile portion below or partialh' enclosing 

 the hymenium, the hypothecium, the ujiper portion of which is 

 sometimes referred to as the subhymenial layer. The outer 

 part of the hypothecium is often modified into a more or less 

 well-defined la\'er, the excipulum. The extreme outer part of 

 the excipulum may be modified still further int(^ a thin mem- 

 brane, the ectal layer. 



Fig. 2. .Xpothecia of Bulgaria glohosn. 



The apothecium is usualh' rather thin, onl\' a few millimeters 

 in thickness and often quite brittle. The thickness and con- 

 sistency vary much in the different species, some being very 

 soft while others are tough and leathery or gelatinous. The 

 extreme is probably encountered in Bulgaria globosa (Fig. 2). 

 In this species the apothecium is at first subglobose, tough and 

 gelatinous, resembling in appearance a rubber ball. When mature 

 the hymenium appears as a circular depression on the upper side. 

 This species seems to be very rare in this countr\'. It has been 

 collected in Canada by Mr. J. W. Gussow, to whom I am in- 

 debted for the accompanying photograph. 



original spelling has been adopted in this work and citations are made in 

 this form regardless of the spelling used b\' the wirioiis authors. 



