Pezicula 343 



Apothecia erumpcnt in cespitose clusters of three to eight 

 each, the individuals seldom exceeding 1 mm. in diameter, 

 sessile or subsessile, pale-yellow at least when young; hymenium 

 plane, or slightly convex, the margin rather indistinct, similar in 

 color to the outside of the apothecium, becoming concave with 

 age; asci clavate, reaching a length of 90-130 n and a diameter of 

 15-20 n, 4-8-spored, gradually tapering below into a slender, 

 stem-like base; spores irregularly 2-seriate above, ellipsoid, 

 straight, or curved, at first simple, often becoming 3-4-septate, 

 8 X 20-26 fx, hyaline, or subhyaline; paraphyses slender, en- 

 larged above and often flexuose, hyaline, or slightly colored with 

 age. 



On dead branches of Acer spicatum and Acer rnbrum. 



Type locality: North Elba, New York. 



Distribution: New York to Newfoundland and Ontario, 

 Canada. 



Illustrations: Grevillea 5: pL 75, f. 9 (as Dermatea cameo); 

 Mycologia 25: pi. 23 (upper figure in part). 



ExsiccATi: Ellis, Nova-Caesar, 56; N. Am. Fungi 67; Ellis 

 & Ev. N. Am. Fungi 246; Barth. Fungi Columb. 3420; Reliq. 

 Farlow. JJ2 a, b; Thiim. Myc. Univ. 978 (from New York); 

 Rehm, Ascom. 1901 (from Ontario, Canada). 



In a previous paper (Mycologia 25: 145. 1933) the writer 

 concluded from herbarium observations that Nodularia acerciola 

 Peck and Tympanis acerina Peck were identical, the latter being 

 aged, discolored specimens of the former. The two were often 

 found growing in the same clump; the ascospores were identical 

 and both were accompanied by the Sphaeronema stage. 



J. W. Groves, however, disagrees and regards Tympanis 

 acerina Peck and Nodularia acericola Peck as two distinct species 

 and treats Sphaeronema acerinum as the conidial stage of the 

 former. He states that the conidial stage of Pezicula acericola 

 is a very inconspicuous fleshy stroma developing beneath the 

 outer bark. 



Groves further states that the oblong-ellipsoid conidia of 

 Tympanis acerina are similar in form to conidia of species of the 

 related genus Pezicula and this has led to confusion regarding the 

 specific identity and conidial relations of this species and of 

 species of Pezicula occurring on Acer. This also suggests that 

 Dermea acerina may be a discolored Pezicula. 



