Helotium 121 



of 1-3 mm., pale->'ellow; hymenium plane, or slightly concave, 

 similar in color to the outside of the apothecium; stem slender, 

 very variable in length, sometimes reaching nearly 1 cm., at 

 other times so short that the apothecia appear subsessile; asci 

 clavate, reaching a length of 80-100 /i and a diameter of 7-9 n, 

 8-spored; spores fusoid, or subclavate, often with two oil-drops 

 and numerous smaller ones, 3-5 X 12-18 n; paraphyses filiform, 

 slightly enlarged above, reaching a diameter of 3 /x. 



On acorns and hickory-nut husks, Quercus and Hicoria. 



Type locality: Europe. 



Distribution: New York to Iowa and Pennsylvania; also 

 in Europe. 



Illustrations: Bull. Herb. Fr. pJ. 228; Gill. Champ. Fr. 

 Discom. pi. 73; Bull. Lab. Nat. Hist. State Univ. Iowa 6: pi. 23, 

 f.l. 



ExsiccATi : Ellis & Ev. N. Am. Fungi 2048. 



There seems to be considerable variation in the size of the 

 spores in this species. The spores are often smaller than indi- 

 cated. As the plants are otherwise typical this may be due to 

 immaturity. Occasionalh- the spores seem to be septate. This 

 has been reported from Minnesota by Miss Daisy S. Hone as 

 Helotium virgultorum fructigenum, following Rehm. 



7. Helotium nyssicola Seaver, Mycologia 30: 79. 1938. 

 (Plate 105.) 



Apothecia gregarious, or occasionally occurring singly, 

 stipitate, or subsessile, reaching a diameter of 2-4 mm., pale- 

 yellow, orbicular, or with the margin irregularly split; hymenium 

 concave, or nearly plane, pale-yellow; stem very slender, short, 

 or reaching a length of 2 or more cm., the length depending upon 

 the depth of the substratum; asci clavate, reaching a length of 

 125 fx and a diameter of 8 fx, gradually tapering below into a 

 slender, stem-like base, 8-spored; spores fusoid, or clavate, about 

 5-5.5 X 15-20 M, containing a number of small granules; pa- 

 raphyses rather stout, granular, reaching a diameter of 3-4 m- 



On buried or partially buried seeds of Nyssa sylvatica. 



Type locality: The New York Botanical Garden. 



Distribution: Known only from the type locality. 



Illustrations: Mycologia 30: 80,/. 1. 



This species has been collected season after season under one 

 tree in The New York Botanical Garden. It has not been 

 found in any other locality. 



