302 The North American Cup-Fungi 



As another illustration let us take the well known species 

 Lasioholus equinus founded on Elvela equina proposed by MuUer 

 in 1778. The first name used by Fries for this species was 

 Ascoholus pilosus, notwithstanding the fact that three specific 

 names had been proposed for this species before Fries published 

 this part of his Systema Mycologicum in 1822. Under the Inter- 

 national Rules the Friesian name would have to be used and the 

 other three discarded, and that in spite of the fact that the 

 binomial used in this work more than a dozen years ago had 

 previously been employed in all recent monographs of the group. 



Still another case is Peziza ancilis Pers. and Peziza perlata 

 Fries, here regarded as synonyms. The specific name ancilis not 

 only has priority but has been used here and in other mono- 

 graphs of the group. Again application of the International 

 Rules would require that the prior name proposed by Persoon 

 be replaced by the one given by Fries. 



The above examples will serve to illustrate the fact that the 

 adoption of a recent date or sliding dates as a starting point for 

 the nomenclature of the fungi has not been one hundred per cent 

 efficient in bringing about stability of nomenclature. In fact, 

 it is a question whether it has any advantage whatsoever and in 

 many cases, such as cited above, has defeated the very end for 

 which it was devised. The adoption of a multiplicity of starting 

 points for the nomenclature of the various groups of fungi is the 

 weakest link in the whole chain of International Rules. 



Parasitism 



In sharp contrast with the inoperculate cup-fungi parasitism 

 is almost unknown among the operculate forms, few species being 

 even under suspicion, while many of the inoperculates are de- 

 structive parasites. As there are exceptions to every rule, so 

 there is at least one to this. Rhizina inflata while appearing to 

 be strictly a saprophyte may become at least a facultative para- 

 site. James R. Weir seems to have been one of the first in this 

 country to call attention to the destructive work of the fungus. 

 In the Journal of Agricultural Research (4: 93-95. 1915) he 

 writes : 



"Considerable doubt exists regarding the parasitism of Rhi- 

 zina inflata (Schaff.) Sacc. {R. undulata Fr.). This peculiar 

 fungus (PI. VIII, figs. 1, 2, and 3) occurs quite abundantly on 

 the ground in the forest-fire areas of the Northwest. Usually 



