298 Transactions British Mycological Society. 
on maturity each apothecium merely has round its base a dense 
halo of radiating hairs apparently tethering it down to the 
subiculum or substratum, for the subiculum tends to disappear 
in older specimens. 
Urceolella leuconica (Cooke) Boud. I gathered in Ockeridge 
Woods during the Worcester Foray 1921, a fungus which agrees 
with the description of this fungus in all particulars, except 
that very delicate hyphae radiate from the apothecia attaching 
them to the substratum, and also some of the delicate hyphae 
extend and form a delicate cobweb-like subiculum: in this 
feature the fungus resembles Hyaloscypha candidata but yet the 
hairs on the margin and excipulum have the attenuated form 
characteristic of U. leuconica. 
Otidea violacea A. L. Sm. and Ramsb. On October 22, 1921, 
Miss Olive Stansfield found in Clowes Wood, Earlswood Lakes, 
Warwicks., a specimen of this very beautiful amethyst Disco- 
mycete growing on burnt soil. This fungus was first described 
by Smith and Ramsbottom (Trans. Brit. Mycol. Soc. v, p. 237, 
1915) from a specimen gathered in a garden near Warwick by 
Mr W. B. Grove, and in the main details the Earlswood specimen 
agrees with this with the exception of the asci which were only 
about 180 in length compared with 360, the length given for 
the Warwick specimen. 
The paraphyses were hooked at the clavate ends, while those 
of the Warwick specimen are given as straight, this character 
being commented upon as one of the features distinguishing 
this species from O. leporina; the paraphyses also were sparingly 
septate and many showed dichotomy near their base: as is usual 
among Discomycetes the colouring matter in the paraphyses 
give the amethyst colour to the whole fungus. 
In section the hypothecium is seen to be formed of a broad 
band of large, septate, irregularly inflated hyphae and a nar- 
rower band consisting of more regular hyphae forming a compact 
layer above the excipulum which also consists of large, septate, 
irregularly inflated hyphae which run out into irregular par- 
enchymatous granulations on the exterior. 
The inflated cells in the hypothecium often attained great 
dimensions, some measuring 60 x 35 or even go x 55p. They 
very much resemble the water-storage cells found in many 
of the xerophytic higher plants; doubtless water-storage is their 
function here, these cells affording a reserve supply of water 
to be easily drawn upon by developing asci; but these inflated 
cells by changes in turgor probably play the part of motor cells, 
bringing about the closing or curling over movement of the 
walls of the apothecium during drought, and the opening out 
which follows on access to water again. 
