Studies in Discomycetes II. J. S. Bayliss Elliott 267 



seriate, hyaline, narrowly fusiform, straight or slightly curved, 

 continuous, one septate, 20-25 x 2-3/^; paraphyses containing, 

 oily protoplasm in the terminal cell, hyaline, stout, septate, 

 thickened upwards to 7-8/x wide, apex narrowed length not 

 exceeding the asci. 



Habitat. On dead twigs and branches of poplar. Tanworth- 

 in-Arden. 



This fungus has some points of resemblance with M . atrata 

 (Pers.) Karst. v. eupatoricola (Phill.), including the large con- 

 spicuous paraphyses, but it grows on wood not herbaceous 

 stems, it is a bigger fungus, and its spores are longer varying 

 from 20-25/X, instead of lo-iS/x. 



It also somewhat resembles Niptera ramealis Karst. ( = Mol- 

 lisia ramealis Karst. sec. Bond.), but although the spores are 

 within Karsten's wide limits of 14-30;^, they are not blunt at 

 the ends neither are the paraphyses thread-like, being much 

 wider than the outside limit given (3/x), being as wide as the 

 ascus, y-^^Ji. 



Rehm considers N. ramealis Karst. the same as Belonidium 

 I'entostim (Karst.) Phill. {M. ventosa Karst. sec. Bond.) ; if that 

 is so, the above fungus differs considerably since it has a par- 

 enchymatous excipulum and a fimbriate margin in contrast with 

 the excipulum of interwoven hyphae and smooth margin of 

 M. ventosa, also the spores are larger and the paraphyses very 

 different. 



This fungus was found in August 1917, growing on branches 

 which had been pruned from a flourishing young poplar tree 

 less than two months previously, and left lying in a heap on 

 the ground. 



MOLLISIA POPULI n. sp. 



Gregaria, sessilis, patelliformis, dcin plana ac revoluta, 

 1-2 mm. diameter; hymenium Junius cinereum, senius in- 

 carnatum vel ochraceum; excipulum olivaceo-cinerascens, 

 parenchymaticum, margine fimbriate. Asci cylindrici, 90-100 > 

 7-iO)u,, apice attenuato, pedicello brc\'i. Sporidia biseriata, 

 hyalina, anguste fusiformia, recta vel leviter curvata, continua, 

 i-septata, 20-25 x 2-3/x; paraphyses baud ascos superantes, 

 hyalinae, amplae, septatae, superne ad 7-8/x incrassatae, apice 

 ipso attenuatae. 



I wish to express my thanks to Mr W. B. Grove, M.A., for 

 useful criticism and help in various ways and also to the late 

 Prof. G. S, West for the loan of books of reference. 



