l8 9i-l North American Hypliomycetes. 17 



completely occupying them to the exclusion of other and per- 

 haps more desirable fungi. It varies from a decided rose or 

 flesh color, which it often imparts to the substratum on which 

 it grows, to pale whitish or yellowish : the color depending, 

 in part at least, upon the amount of light to which it is ex- 

 posed, and to the character of the substratum. The simple 

 fertile hyphae also vary greatly in length and in the number 

 of the septa, which may be almost wholly wanting. The 

 areolation of the heads is distinct or otherwise, according to 



1 



their condition of maturity, as well as to the illumination 

 used in examining them. 



In view of the observations of Vuillemin in connection with 

 his Alcuria asterigma already referred to, it may be of interest 

 to note that in several cultures made by the writer, that had 

 been allowed to run for several weeks, there appeared repeat- 

 edly at various points on the old paper on which the fungus 

 grew luxuriantly, a number of small Pezizae, flesh colored or 

 whitish, about six millimeters in diameter and apparently de- " 

 veloped from the same mycelium which gave rise to the 



Oedocephalum. Although asci were produced, no ascospores 

 matured in them, so that cultures were impossible and no 

 proof of the connection between the two forms was obtainable. 

 Saccardo in the Sylloge follows Harz in considering 0. c/c- 

 %an$ Preuss a synonym of this species. The description and 



figure of clcgaus, however, which is given in Sturm, seem to 

 indicate that the two are quite distinct: Preuss' species re- 



palli 



W 



Harz is correct in assuming that the present species is syn- 

 onymous also with 0. album and 0. alienutn of Preuss must 

 remain uncertain, since these two species are hardly recog-' 

 nizable from either the figures or descriptions. The spherical 

 spores described by Preuss, however, seem to separate both 

 trom glomcrulosum, and Saccardo is doubtless right in keep- 

 ing them distinct. 



The OedocepJialum roscuni Cooke, judging by the description 

 and figure in Grevillea, can hardly be separated from the pres- 

 ent species, of which it may be merely a short-stemmed 

 variety. 



Oedocephalum eehinulatuin n. sp. — Plate IV, figs. 8-11. 



White becoming slightly yellowish. Sterile and fertil 

 hyphae not clearly differentiated, the latter more or less irregu- 

 larly and indefinitely branched. Fertile heads nearlv 



