The Nidulariaceae of North America =■' 



By V. S. White 



(With Plates 14-18) 



The members of the family Nidulariaceae are small fungi, 

 seldom attaining a height of 15 mm., the average height being 

 from 5-7 mm. The ripe sporophores are usually more or less regu- 

 larly cup-shaped, containing from 10-20, or in some species, more, 

 lenticular seed-like bodies, which are analogous to the chambers 

 of the gleba in the other chief groups of the gastromycetes ; 

 these bodies are usually known as sporangioles or peridiola, 

 while the cup is known as the peridium. 



They are widely distributed, as will be shown in the following 

 pages, and several of the species are fairly common, appearing 

 principally in wet weather, in late summer and autumn, often per- 



* This revision of the family was made possible by the large amount of material 

 found at the New York Botanical Garden, principally forming part of the Ellis collec- 

 tion, and by additional material furnished by Professor L. M. Underwood, from his own 

 private collection. Professor F. S. Earle and Professor C. H. Peck also kindly 

 loaned specimens. Thanks are due to Professor G. F. Atkinson, of Cornell Univer- 

 sity, for the loan of three drawings of N'idtilaria Alabamemis made by Mr. H. 

 Hasselbring, and for a specimen of this same species ; to Professor Farlow, of Harvard 

 University, for kindly allowing specimens of Cyathtis pallidus Berk. & Curt, and Cya- 

 thus IVrightii Berk., to be examined and sketched ; to Mr. Stewardson Brown, of the 

 Philadelphia Academy of Science, for his courtesy in facilitating the examination of 

 Schweinitz's specimens nos. 2211-2220 ; to Miss Anna Murray Vail, Librarian of the 

 New York Botanical Garden, for help in tracing references ; to Mr. E. S. Salmon, for 

 looking up some data at Kew, England, and most especially to Professor L. M. Under- 

 wood, under whose direction the work was undertaken. 



[Issued 26 May] 251 



