g4 NATURAL HISTOEY BULLETIN 



THECOTHEUS Boud., Ann. Sci. Nat. V. 10 : 235. 1869. 



Receptacle waxy, sessile, at first conical in form and almost 

 pointed above, later expanding, becoming cylindrical and about 

 as broad as high; hymenium erumpent, immarginate, subprui- 

 nose, at first plane, then convex, rough with crystalline points, 

 which are the emergent asci ; asci large, elongated and broad, 

 32-spored, becoming much exserted; spores hyaline, each sur- 

 rounded by a mucilaginous membrane. 



The genus is represented by a single species which occurs 

 commonly in Iowa. The genus is distinguished from Ryparo- 

 hius by the larger size of the plants and their peculiar conical 

 form when young, also by the erumpent hymenium. 



Thecotheus pelletieri (Crouan) Bond., Ann. Sci. Nat., V. 

 10: 236. 1869. 



Plate 33, f. i. 

 Ascoholus pelletieri Crouan, Ann. Sci. Nat. IV. 7 : 173. 1857. 

 Byparohius pelletieri Sacc, Syll. Fung. 8 : 542. 1889. 



Gregarious or scattered, conical, then cylindrical, dirty whit- 

 ish to gray, externally pruinose ; hymenium at first slightly con- 

 cave, then plane or convex; asci few, very large, cylindrical, 

 operculate, stipitate, 300 to 320 by 50 to 60/i,; spores 32 in each 

 ascus, arranged three to four abreast in irregular rows, large, 

 attenuated at each end, often filled with large guttulse, or granu- 

 lar, 23 to 24 by 35 to 38/>i, paraphyses slender, branched. 



Grown on cow-dung in the laboratory, Iowa City, also col- 

 lected on horse-dung Mt. Pleasant; rather common. 



The plants of this species were grown several times under glass 

 in the laboratory at Iowa City previous to the publication of the 

 Diseomycetes of Eastern Iowa. They are at first white or nearly 

 so and taper to a point at the apex which gradually spreads out 

 until the plant becomes cylindrical with the hymenium convex. 

 When mature the whole plant is from 2 to 3 mm. in diameter 

 and about the same in height. 



RYPAROBIUS Bond., Ann. Sci. Nat. V. 10: 237. 1869. 

 Receptacle, minute (usually less than 1 mm.) at first globose, 



