HARPER: TWO REMARKABLE DISCOMYCETES 83 
thecium extending a little beyond and embracing the hymenium. 
The bottom of the cup is thickened and raised into a sort of 
cushion covered like the rest of the interior by the hymenium. 
Such a cushion is evident on the bottom of all the cups examined. 
Around the cushion is a narrow zone which is destitute of hyme- 
nium. It has apparently resulted from a rupture of the hymenium 
during growth. In the larger chamber is an irregular outgrowth 
covered by the hymenium such as may occur in almost any position 
on the hymenium of these plants. 
An end section of another specimen shows an apothecium in 
which the basal cushion is very large. The chambers are irregular 
and there are several minor cavities. The general structure is 
however the same as in the plant figured on PLATE 3. The basal 
cushion in this second specimen is hollow and it was deeply in- 
dented on the under side in a zone around the central portion, 
which was attached to the soil as a sort of stem. 
When the apothecia are mature and the growth tension becomes 
great; instead of opening at the mouth as in most species of Peziza, 
the walls of the chambers burst irregularly as shown in PLATE 3, A. 
The appearance of such opened plants is striking. The walls of 
the internal cavities are pure bluish white and the thick reflexed 
segments give the plant the appearance of a large white flower. 
When the weather is unfavorable to rapid growth the apothecia 
do. not open as far as my observation goes but dry up or decay 
without exposing the hymenium. Sometimes irregular openings 
are found in the walls of old plants. 
In regular plants the walls of the apothecia are of nearly equal 
thickness throughout. They are covered on the inside by the 
hymenium. The hypothecium is made up of irregular septate 
hyphae of different diameters with many large irregular cells and 
cavities, especially in the center. The hyphae are much more 
dense directly beneath the hymenium where they form an indefi- 
nite subhymenial layer. On the outside there is a compact corti- 
cal layer of hyphae which run somewhat parallel to the surface. 
In the center of the walls the tissue is looser and the cells larger. 
Often the tissue breaks down and leaves hollow spaces in the walls. 
as can be seen in the sections. 
The asci are long and narrow and closely packed together with 
