56 NATURAL HISTORY BULLETIN 



On charcoal and ashes where fire has been; Iowa City. 



The form described in the Discomycetes of Eastern Iowa as 

 P. aurantio-rutrum Fuckel was probably rather a poor specimen 

 of the above. After the publication of that paper the present 

 species was found in abundance on burnt places in wet weather. 

 The beautiful salmon-colored patches on burnt ground were 

 quite attractive. 



In the winter of 1906 this species was observed commonly in 

 the propagating house of the New York Botanical Garden where 

 it occurred in abundance on soil which had been sterilized by 

 heating. It grew abundantly for a time and finally disappeared. 

 The gardener reported it to be very common but apparently it 

 did no harm. 



Also during the autumn of 1907 the species was observed com- 

 monly in North Dakota where it occurred on moist soil along 

 roadsides. It seemed to appear here where no traces of fire were 

 evident but it may have followed prairie fires. Usually it is 

 common only on burnt places. 



*Pyronema melaloma (Fries) Sacc, Syll. Fung. 8:107. 1889. 

 Plate 7, f. II. 



Peziza melaloma Fries., Syst. Myc. 2 : 68. 1822. 



Saceardo seems to have made a difference between this and 

 Peziza melaloma Alb. & Schw. which we have described 

 as Lachnea melaloma (Alb. & Schw.) Sacc. The two forms col- 

 lected by the writer and described under these different names 

 seem to be distinct although both occur on burnt soil and are in 

 other ways similar. Whether they should be placed in different 

 genera is uncertain. The form described here is smaller, of a 

 brighter color and the exterior is not so distinctly hairy. 



The plants of this species have been found to be common, and 

 occur in dense crowded masses. 



FAMILY 5. PEZIZACE^. 



Receptacle for the most part borne on the surface, not im- 

 mersed in the substratum, sessile or stipitate, externally smooth 

 or clothed with hairs, fleshy, at first closed then opening with a 



