]10 NATUKAL HISTOEY BULLETIN 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



Asci 8-spored P. atrata. 



Asci 4-spored P. tetraspora. 



Patellaria atrata (Hedw.) Fries, Syst. Orbis. Veg. 113. 1825. 



Lichen atratus Hedw., Laub-Moose 2 : 73. 1789. 

 Peziza patellaria Pers., Syn. Fung. 670. 1801. 

 Lecanidion atratum Rabenh., Krypt Fl. 1 : 342. 1844. 



Plants small, 1 to 2 mm. in diameter, sessile, patelliform with 

 the margin elevated, black (bluish with transmitted light) ; hy- 

 menium plane, of the same color; asci clavate, 8-spored; spores 

 fusoid to clavate, 5 to 7-septate, hyaline 35 to 50 by 6 to 7/x; 

 paraphyses filiform, branched, ends enlarged forming an epithe- 

 cium. 



On various kinds of dead wood, Carpinus, Celtis, Carya, Jug- 

 lans, Popxdus, Quercus, Salix, Viburnum, Vitis, Ulmus and on 

 herbaceous sterns, common. 



Patellaria tetraspora Massee & Morgan; Morgan, Jour. Myc. 

 8: 180. 1902. 



Plate 36, f. in. 



Lecanidion tetraspora Seaver, Proc. Iowa Acad. Sci. 12: 118. 

 1905. 



This species is similar in every way to the preceding with the 

 exception of the asci and spores. The asci are 8-spored and nat- 

 urally a little narrow and the spores are somewhat larger. 



This might seem to be only a variety of the preceding but care- 

 ful study of the plants of the species which have been collected 

 several times in Iowa seems to show the 4-spored character to be 

 constant. In none of the plants were both 4-spored and 8-spored 

 asci found but they were always either 4 or 8-spored. The plants 

 containing 8-spored asci show the asci to be broader and clavate 

 while those containing 4-spored asci show them to be more nearly 

 cylindrical and much narrower as would follow from the smaller 

 number of spores contained. 



KARSCHIA Koerber. Parerga Lich. 459. 1865. 



External characteristics the same as those of the genns Paid- 



