THE SAPROPHYTIC FUNGI OF EASTERN IOWA. 6 Z 



ochre-yellow or ashy-gray, at length almost smooth; inner 

 peridium smooth, dark gray to lead-color; conceptacles black- 

 ish, smooth, 2^-3 mm. broad; spores broadly oval, 13x7 ,«. 



An American species. 



Not uncommon on all sorts of decaying bits of vegetable 

 matter buried or half-buried in the ground. Not seldom 

 found in corn-fields, on lawns, about wood-yards, etc. Dis- 

 tinguished from the preceding by the flaring campanulate 

 peridium and absence of plications. N. A. F. 308. 



II. CRUCIBULUM Tulasne. 



Sporocarp at first globose then short-cylindric, closed by a 

 furfuraceous lid-like structure, at length crucible-form the 

 lid disappearing; the peridium simple, of but one layer; con- 

 ceptacles numerous, disk-shaped, smooth, white, each with a 

 globular process beneath, which may be prolonged into a long 

 slender funiculus. 



1. Crucibulum vulgare Till. 



Sporocarp globose, at first closed, sessile, white or ochrace- 

 ous, with fibrous mycelium; peridium thick, furfuraceous with- 

 out, satiny shining within, the lid of the peridium at length 

 disappearing, exposing the numerous, circular, flattened, yel- 

 lowish-white conceptacles from 1^-2 mm. broad; spores 

 elliptic 5x9^. 



Common everywhere, especially in the crevices of our 

 wooden side-walks, which still abound, the conspicuous and 

 unhappy evidence of a new and unfinished civilization. N. A. 

 F. 728. 



III. NIDULARIA Fries. 



Sporocarp subglobose, saccate, reticulate, pale brown, ses- 

 sile; peridium simple, thin, at length breaking up from the 

 top downward, vasiform; conceptacles numerous, disk-shaped, 

 lying in a gelatinous mass, without funiculus; spores globose. 



