MiTRULA 9 



Spores broadly ellipsoid; paraphyses absent. 



Ascophores very irregular and contorted; spores 4-5 



X 6-10 n. \. M. irregularis. 



Ascophores regularly clavate; spores 3-4 X 4-6 ju. 2. M. vitellina. 



Spores narrowly ellipsoid, clavate, or fusiform; para- 

 physes present. 

 Ascigerous portion vitelline-yellow; stem satiny white. 3. M. phalloides. 

 Ascigerous portion cream-color to brownish; stem 

 darker, at least not white. 

 Growing on coniferous leaves; ascigerous portion 



cream-buff when fresh; stem darker. 4. M. cucullata. 



Growing on living moss. 



Hymenium nearly even; when dry ascigerous 



portion orange-brown; stem paler. 5. M. gracilis. 



Hymenium more or less convoluted. 6. M. muscicola. 



1. Mitrula irregularis (Peck) Durand, Ann. Myc. 6: 398. 1908. 



Geoglossum irregulare Peck, Ann. Rep. N. V. State Mus. 32: 45. 1879. 

 Mitrula vitellina irregularis Sacc. Syll. Fung. 8: 36. 1889. 

 Mitrula luteola Ellis, Am. Nat. 17: 192. 1883. 

 Mitrula crispata Berk. Grevillea 3: 149. 1875. 

 Spragueola americana Massee, Jour. Bot. 34: 150. 1896. 



Ascophores usually cespitose, rarely solitary, clavate, or 

 irregular in form, usually twisted or contorted, compressed, 

 obtuse, sometimes lobed, 1.5 cm. high; ascigerous portion vitel- 

 line-yellow, commonly occupying one-half to two-thirds the total 

 length, up to 15 mm. broad; stem tapering downward, satiny 

 white, pruinose, fibrillose or thinly tomentose, up to 1.5 cm. high, 

 2-5 mm. thick, sometimes absent; substance yellowish white; 

 asci clavate-cylindric, the ascigerous hyphae repeatedly branched 

 below, the apex rounded, not or slightly blue with iodine, vari- 

 able in length, reaching a length of 90-150 m and a diameter of 

 5-6 M, 8-spored; spores 1-seriate, hyaline, continuous, smooth, 

 ellipsoid, often slightly reniform, 4-5 X 6-10 ^ (majority 5X8); 

 paraphyses absent. 



On bare soil, mossy damp soil or often among pine leaves. 



Type locality: Sandlake, New York. 



Distribution: Ontario and New Brunswick south to Dis- 

 trict of Columbia, and west to Colorado. 



Illustrations: Bull. N. Y. State Mus. 1-': pj. jj. 5-7; Ann. 

 Rep. N. Y. State Mus. 48: pi. 5,f. 8-14; Ann. Bot. 11: pi. 12 J. 

 23-24a; Ann. Myc. 6: pi. 5,f. 7-8; Jour. Bot. 34: pi. 357, J. 8, 9. 



ExsiccATi: Ellis, N. Am. Fungi 978. 



