38 Proceedings of the Ohio State .Icadeiiiy of Science 



point in the center. Spores 8, large, oblong- or elliptic, hyahne, 

 then purple and finally brown, smooth with longitudinal branch- 

 ing ridges or verrucose. As the spores mature the hymenium 

 presents a dotted, papillate appearance caused by the hyaline 

 emergent asci filled with dark spores. 



Commonly found on dung but also on damp paper or other 

 decaying plant material. 



The genus may be distinguished from others of the family 

 by the color and reticulations of the spores, by the non-adherent 

 epispore, and by the length of the paraphyses. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



a — Exterior of the apothecia not scaly, immersed immersus 



a — Exterior of the apothecia scaly. 



b — Epispore minutely warty atrofuscus 



b — Epispore with longitudinal reticulations furfuraceus 



-\-Ascoboliis iiiii>iersiis Pers. Syn. Fung. 677. 1801. 



Apothecia solitary or in groups, minute, immei-sed in the 

 substratum, interior pale-olivaceous, becoming very dark as 

 spores mature ; exterior covered with minute hyaline hairs. Hy- 

 menium slightly greenish, hypothecium pale. Paraphyses often 

 branched. Asci broadly clavate. Spores oblong-elliptic, show- 

 ing the large nucleus when immature, becoming brown with lon- 

 gitudinal and branched reticulations ; enclosed in a hyaline en- 

 velope, 50-60 mic. long and 22-23 "''ic. wide. 



Grown in the laboratory on old cow dung. 



Ascobolus furfuraceus Pers. Obs. j\Iycol. 33. 1796. 



Apothecia scattered or in clusters, 3-6 mm. broad, sessile^ 

 pale olive, becoming quite dark as the spores mature, exterior 

 covered with yellowish scaly particles. Hymenium greenish,, 

 hypothecium pale. Paraphyses filiform, granular, somewhat en- 

 larged at the ends. Asci clavate, operculate, ends blunt and 

 usually somewhat narrower. Asci and paraphyses hyaline, but 

 both surrounded by a greenish, gelatinous, granular mass. Spores 

 uniseriate or irregular, ellipsoid, with longitudinal reticulations,. 

 23 mic. long and 10 mic. wide. 



