104 NATURAL HISTORY BULLETIN 



One collection of this material was made in which the bluish- 

 green color of the plants seemed to be a conspicuous character. 

 Whether this is constant or not we cannot say. 



The specimen described in the Discomycetes of Eastern Iowa 

 and doubtfully referred to Patellaria melaxantha (Fries) Phil- 

 lips is a Gorgoniceps the genus differing from Patellaria in the 

 soft, waxy consistency of the plants. This specimen differs from 

 the above mainly in the color of the plants which is yellowish to 

 brown, and the plants were often found to be confluent. There 

 also seems to be a difference in the size of the spores but as the 

 original material is not at hand a more careful comparison can- 

 not be made at present. Unless field study shows these differences 

 to be constant it is thought best to refer this materia! all to the 

 above name. The following is the description which was drawn 

 from fresh material. 



Plants minute, not more than 1 mm. in diameter, generally 

 less, gregarious, or often confluent, depressed, yellowish-brown, 

 darker externally near the base ; hymenium concave, plane or 

 slightly convex, more or less papillate or rough ; asci clavate, 12 

 to 14 by 100 to 110/*, very slender at the base, apex rounded, at- 

 tenuated ; spores 8, fusiform, generally curved, 5- to 7-septate. 

 hyaline, 35 to 40 by 3 to 4/x, obliquely arranged in the ascus, more 

 or less twisted around each other; paraphyses filiform, branched. 



On decaying wood, Iowa City. 



The plants described here have been collected several times in 

 the summer and fall. They are minute in size but always gre- 

 garious and often form a confluent yellowish mass. The inter- 

 nal characters are quite distinct. Spores are fusiform, generally 

 curved or double-curved, becoming very slightly S-shaped, from 

 5- to 7-septate, (generally 7) and often apparently constricted 

 at the septa. Paraphyses are less distinct but filiform and 

 branched. 



Also a third collection of Gorgoniceps was made at Mt. Pleas- 

 ant on old wood of Plat anus occidentalis. This species is un- 

 doubtedly the same as the one collected at Iowa City although 

 the plants are rather smaller and do not show the same tendency 

 to become confluent. The plants are very numerous but small 

 and on account of their dull color not easily seen. In spite of 



