42 NATUEAL HISTORY BULLETIN 



Since the publication of the Discomycetes of Eastern Iowa, 

 five new species and one variety have been described by various 

 authors based on material collected in connection with tMs work 

 and this opportunity is taken to bring together all of these facts 

 and publish them as one work. The new species referred to are 

 as follows: Sphcerosoma echinulatum Seaver, Schlerotina seaveri 

 Rehm, Dermatea olivascens Rehm, Gorgoniceps iowensis Rehm, 

 Sclerotinia tiliae Reade, and Helotium citrinulum seaveri Rehm. 

 The first of these has since been twice reported from Europe 

 and the second has been collected and studied in New York State. 



This work is not intended as a monograph and for this reason 

 no attempt has been made to straighten the many nomenclatural 

 tangles which have arisen, such matters being left to those to 

 whose lot it shall fall to prepare the much-needed monograph of 

 the North American Discomycetes. While an attempt has been 

 made to recognize the first published specific name, where there 

 is a clear case, few new combinations have been made. The ques- 

 tion of the validity of several genera has arisen and in some 

 eases noted but it is thought best to leave such matters also to 

 those who may have the time to go into the study of the nomen- 

 clature of this group of plants more thoroughly. 



The drawings were the most of them made from fresh mate- 

 rial and before leaving loM^a. When it became necessary to use 

 dried specimens these were carefully soaked up before using. 

 In the case of large plants the drawing is natural size but when 

 the specimens are very small, both a natural size sketch and an 

 enlarged view have been made to show gross characters. No 

 attempt has been made to draw spores and asci to a common 

 scale throughout. Such drawings are aimed to show the form of 

 the ascus, spore arrangement, spore-form, and internal and 

 external markings. For the relative size of the microscopic char- 

 acters the reader must depend upon the measurements given with 

 the descriptions. 



This article is ofi'ered mainly as a guide to local students and 

 while it comprises the sum of the knowledge of the discomycete 

 flora of Iowa so far as I have been able to accumulate it, the 

 subject is a large one and I have reason to believe can scarcely 

 be more than touched upon in an article of this size. It is hoped 



