Ombrophila 231 



Apothecia fleshy to gelatinous, stipitate but the stem often 

 much reduced in length, or 1 cm. or more in length; asci clavate 

 to cylindric, usually 8-spored; spores ellipsoid to fusoid, hyaline, 

 simple; paraphyses variable. 



Type species, Peziza Clavus Alb. & Schw. 



The genus has been used as a "waste basket" and most of the 

 species placed here have been referred to other genera. How- 

 ever, the type species is very characteristic, widely distributed, 

 and well known, so the genus is allowed to stand. 



1. Ombrophila Clavus (Alb. & Schw.) Cooke, Grevillea 8: 84. 

 1879. (Plate 76.) 



Peziza Clavus Alb. & Schw. Consp. Fung. 306. 1805. 



Peziza Clavus violascens Alb. & Schw. Consp. Fung. 306. 1805. 



Helotium pileatum Peck, Ann. Rep. N. Y. State Mus. 28: 67. 1876. 



?Helotium palustre Peck, Ann. Rep. N. Y. State Mus. 32: 48. 1879. 



Leotia aqiiatica Lib. Rev. Myc. 2: 18. 1880. 



Helotium Clavus Gill. Champ. Fr. Discom. 153. 1883. 



Cudonia aquatica Quel. Ench. Fung. 267. 1886. 



?Omhrophila albiceps Peck, Ann. Rep. N. Y. State Mus. 42: 34. 1889. 



Cudoniella fructigena Rostr. Medd. Grcinl. 3: 605. 1891. 



Cudoniella aquatica Sacc. Syll. Fung. 8: 42. 1889. 



Apothecia scattered, fleshy, to subgelatinous, stipitate, or 

 subsessile, pallid, or purplish; reaching a diameter of I cm.; 

 hymenium plane, or convex, same color; stem variable, short, or 

 very long, gradually expanding into the apothecium, the whole 

 subturbinate; asci cylindric-clavate, reaching a length of 70-90 n 

 and a diameter of 9-10 n, 8-spored; spores elongate-ellipsoid, or 

 subfusoid, often unequal-sided, 4-5 X 10-15 y.\ paraphyses 

 filiform. 



On leaves and wood submerged in water or in very wet places. 



Type locality: Europe. 



Distribution: New England to Washington; probably 

 widely distributed. 



Illustrations: Alb. & Schw. Consp. Fung. pi. 11,}. 5; Phill. 

 Brit. Discom. pi. 10, f. 62; Bond. Ic. Myc. pi. 434. 



When Albertini and Schweinitz described Peziza Clavus they 

 listed two varieties: a. pallens and b. violascens. When Fries 

 established the genus Ombrophila, he raised these forms to 

 specific rank calling the first Ombrophila, piirpurascens and the 

 second Ombrophila violacea. Just why violascens was changed to 

 violacea is not apparent. 



