Wynnea 181 



1. Wynnea gigantea Berk. & Curt. Jour. Linn. Soc. 9: 424. 1867. 



FPeziza macrotis Berk. Jour. Bot. and Kew Misc. 3: 203. 1851. 

 ?Wynnea macrotis Berk. Jour. Linn. Soc. 9: 424. 1867. 

 FMidotis macrotis Sacc. Syli. Fung. 8: 547. 1889. 

 Midotis gigantea Sacc. Syll. Fung. 8: 547. 1889. 



Apothecia cespitose and springing from a common stem which 

 is about 6-7 cm. long and 2 cm. thick, deeply rugose and cracked, 

 the individual apothecia smooth, externally becoming wrinkled 

 when dry but not cracked like the stem, reaching a length of 

 5-7 cm. with the margins incurved, simple or occasionally 

 proliferous; asci cylindric or subcylindric; spores subcymbiform, 

 12 X 25-30 ju; paraphyses slightly enlarged above. 



Habitat unknown, but probably on the ground. 



Type locality: Orizaba, Mexico. 



Distribution: Mexico and (India?). 



Illustrations: Jour. Linn. Soc. 9: pJ. 12; Cooke, My- 

 cographia pi. 24, f. 93. 



2. Wynnea americana Thaxter, Bot. Gaz. 39: 246. 1905. 



(Plate 16.) 



Sclerotium tough, subgelatinous, coriaceous on drying, irregu- 

 larly lobed, variable in size, reaching a diameter of 4-5 cm., 

 brown, the main axis becoming variously divided almost im- 

 mediately after emerging from the ground, the divisions giving 

 rise to clusters of apothecia of variable size and number; apothecia 

 from a few to twenty-five from a single sclerotium, simple or 

 more rarely proliferous, erect, elongate ear-shaped, very variable 

 in size, reaching an extreme length of 6-13 cm., the average 

 about 8 cm., the margins somewhat incurved on drying, the 

 external surface rich blackish-brown, finely verrucose, the rough- 

 ness due to projecting cells which become hair-like near the 

 margin; hymenium even, dark purplish-red or brown; asci elon- 

 gate, reaching a length of 500-540 /^ and a diameter of 18//; 

 spores subcymbiform, 15-16X32-40//, with the extremities 

 apiculate, striately marked, the striations consisting of about 8 

 alternately light and dark bands extending the length of the 

 spore, the entire spore when fresh filled with oil-drops; paraphyses 

 septate, enlarged above and pale-brown. 



On the ground in rich woods. 



Type locality: Burbank, East Tennessee. 



Distribution: North Carolina to Tennessee and Ohio. 



Illustration: Thaxter, Bot. Gaz. 39: pi. 4 and 5 (opposite 

 p. 246). 



