IOWA DISCOMYCETES 



87 



while in the latter they extend in any direction and are much 

 more numerous, giving the spore a decidedly roughened appear- 

 ance. 



*Ascobolus immersus Pers., Obs. Myc, 1 : 35. 179.6. 



Plate 31, f. i. 



Ascobolus macrosporus Crouan, Ann, Ann. Sci. Nat., IV. 7: 

 173. 1857. 



Ascobolus gigasporus De Notaris, Comra. Critt. It.. 1: 360. 

 1863. 



Ascobolus carbonarins Karst., Not. Fauna Fl. Tenn. 11: 

 202. 1870. 



* Ascobolus atro-fuscus Phill. & Plow., Grevillea 2 : 186. 1873. 



Plate 29, f. i. 



Plants found growing on the banks of the Iowa River near 

 Iowa City, where a brush pile had been burned, also later col- 

 lections made where fires had been in various localities. The 

 plants are usually densely crowded on or surrounding the 

 pieces of charcoal with which the soil is mixed. They are very 

 dark brown in color and rough on the outside. 



A note was added by Phillips and Plowright in their original 

 description cited above as follows: "We have little doubt of 

 this being the same plant referred to by Mr. Boudier (1. c.) as 

 Ascobolus viridis Curr. ; it differs so much in sporidia. colour 

 and habitat from Mr. Currey's species that we venture to con- 

 sider it distinct." 



Later Ascobolus viridis Curr., or what was suspected to be 

 this, was collected by the writer on clay soil in other localities 

 along the Iowa River in moist places and it was never suspected 

 that this might be identical with A. atro-fuscus Phill. & Plow, 

 until this note w T as read. In addition to the differences men- 

 tioned by Phillips and Plowright the spores of A. viridis are 

 reticulate and in A. atro-fuscus we have seen no signs of reticula- 

 tions but the spores are beautifully verrucose. It would seem 

 that the two forms are distinct, but the illustration of Boudier 

 conforms more closely to the description of Ascobolus atro-fuscus 

 Phill. & Plow, than to that of Ascobolus viridis Curr. 



