120 NATURAL HISTOEY BULLETIN 



On half-buried branches and sticks in woods, Iowa City and 

 Mt. Pleasant. 



A large species very common on decaying sticks in woods in 

 the spring. A number of the plants may often be found attached 

 to a small stick standing upright in a row. They are at first 

 club-shaped, black structures, hollow in the center, finally open- 

 ing by a star-shaped aperture at the apex, when mature leaving 

 the margin notched. In Engler-Prantl Natiilichen Pflanzenfam- 

 ilien this species is included with the subgenus Geopyxis and 

 there seems to be some difference of opinion as to whether this 

 plant should be included with that subgenus, which is now treat- 

 ed as a genus, or allowed to remain where it is.* 



ORDER III. PHACIDIINE^. 



Apothecia free on the substratum or forming a stroma, at 

 first immersed, becoming erumpent, roundish or elongated. 



FAMILY 11. STICTIDACE^E. 



Apothecia bright-colored, never black, surrounded by the rough 

 edges of the broken epidermis. 



PKOPOLIS Fries, Syst. Myc. 2 : 198. 1822. 



Apothecia at first immersed, becoming erumpent, surrounded 

 by the rough edges of the broken epidermis; asci 8-spored; 

 spores elliptical, simple, hyaline, usually with 2 oil-drops, 2- 

 seriate, straight or curved. 



But one species of the genus and order can be reported on at 

 this time. 



Propolis faginea (Schrad.) Karst., Myc. Fenn. 1: 244. 1871. 



Plate 40, f. ii. 



Hysterium fagineum Schrad., Jour. Bot. 2 : 68. 1799. 

 Stictis versicolor Fries., Syst. Myc. 2 : 198. 1822. 

 Propolis versicolor Fries, Summa Veg. Scand. 372. 1849. 



Plants at first immersed, becoming erumpent, usually elon- 

 gated but often rounded; margin laciniate; hymenium farinose, 



*Bull. Torrey CI. 29: 137. 



