147 
culatz and to be transferred to the second or inoperculate division. 
It is necessary to examine species when fresh to ascertain their 
true position, as the delicate membranes shrivel up and do not 
recover their natural condition when moistened. Nor can a 
character be of much value which brings together such aberrant 
forms as some of those above mentioned. All such minutie are 
_ of great value as characterising species, but their use as sectional 
' divisions commonly proves delusive. 
A far more degenerate form of Ascomycetes, consisting of little 
more than asci, accompanied by very short, moniliform threads, 
occurs on leaves, causing them to swell and blister, as in the 
peach, walnut and pear. This is the genus Ascomycetes, one of 
the most obscure among fungi, but from its effect on vegetation, 
_ of considerable importance. Tulasne has shown that there is a 
q second form of fruit in some genera, as for example in Bulgaria, 
where the species sarcoides, in its early or conidiiferous state, is 
_ known as Tremella sarcoides, but in its more advanced or asciger- 
ous period it is recognised as Bulgaria sarcoides. We have a 
similar case in Fusarium tremelloides, which forms little red, 
gelatinous masses on dead nettle stems, but in its more perfect 
condition constitutes Peziza fusarioides. Coryne virescens Tul 
has naked fruit situated on sporophores, but later on an ascigerous 
form is developed from the same matrix, and it then becomes 
 Peziza atro-virens P. Tulasne has also observed a third form 
of fruit in certain species, which he calls spermatia. 
The elastic force with which many of the larger Pezize and 
‘Helvellee eject their sporidia is very remarkable and has often 
attracted attention. This peculiarity may easily be seen in the 
ger Pezize, such as P. vesiculosa, common on hotbeds, and 
P. reticulata, which appears in the spring in meadows and grassy 
yanks. If either of these, when mature, is placed in a box for a 
short time and the box then suddenly opened, a cloud of dust-like 
sporidia may be seen to arise from the hymenium and disperse 
tself in the air. These sporidia are so minute that they may be 
