32 The North American Cup-Fungi 



Again in Trinidad, which is almost under the tropical sun, 

 while some species were found which were restricted to the 

 tropics, the writer was frequently surprised to find what appeared 

 to be Peziza badia of the north. While some mycologists might 

 regard this as a geographical species, no morphological difference 

 could be detected. This was especially common in Trinidad on 

 clay pits where clay had been burned for the surfacing of the 

 roads. 



Perhaps the most interesting genus from the standpoint of 

 distribution is Lamprospora, which might be regarded as the 

 writer's "pet" genus since he has made a special effort to collect 

 and study the species of this particular form. Because of their 

 small size, the plants of this genus are usually overlooked by 

 mycologists. Having had great difficulty in determining the 

 species because of inadequate descriptions, the writer in 1914 

 put out a preliminary monograph calling attention to some of 

 the peculiar markings of the spores. 



Following this. Dr. Ethel McLennan and Miss Isabel Cookson 

 (Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria 38: 70-76. 1926) have reported from 

 Australia several species described as new in our preliminary 

 monograph. These are as follows: Lamprospora tuhercidata; 

 Lamprospora tuhercidatella; Lamprospora Maireana; and Lampro- 

 spora areolata Seaver, var. australis. Of these Lamprospora 

 Maireana is also known from North Africa as well as North 

 America. A number of other species of the genus are found in 

 Europe, America and Australia and will probably be found to be 

 world wide. It is difiicult to draw general conclusions because 

 so little attention is given to these obscure forms. 



During the two collecting excursions to the Bermuda Islands, 

 the cup-fungus most commonly collected was a European species, 

 Lamprospora Planchonis, which has never been found on the 

 mainland of North America, or at least has never been reported. 

 This is one of the larger species of the genus and would not have 

 been overlooked if it occurred here as abundantly as it does in 

 Bermuda. From the standpoint of geographical distribution, 

 there seems to be no more reason for its occurrence in Bermuda 

 than in continental North America. When we recall that the 

 soil of Bermuda is made up of disintegrated coral limestone, 

 the nature of the substratum might have something to do with 

 its occurrence there. Under just what conditions it occurs in 

 Europe has not been learned. 



