294 NATURAL HISTORY BULLETIN. 



dry. Asci cylindrical, generally 8-spored; spores elliptical, 

 or unequal sided, i-celled, hyaline, then brown. Paraphyses 

 forming a colored epithecium. Plants large growing on wood. 

 Two species have been collected near Iowa City. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



a — Hymenium dark colored, spores unequal-sided . B. inquinans 



a — Hymenium light colored, reddish, spores elliptical 11. rufa. 



Bulgaria rufa Schw. 

 Plate XXIV, fig. i. 



1881 Bulgaria rufa Ellis and Everhart, N. A. Fung. , No. 44'). 

 18s 1 ' Bulgaria rufa Saccardo, Sylloge Fung., VIII, p. 638. 



Subturbinate, caespitose, at first closed, then expanding, 

 concave, gelatinous, i to 2 inches in diameter, margin in older 

 specimens repand; hymenium light colored reddish; externally 

 dark brown or black, covered with minute, flexuose, black, 

 septate hairs, rugose near the base; asci cylindrical, sporidia 

 8, elliptical io by 20 microns; paraphyses filiform, slender. 



Habitat — On decaying sticks in woods; Iowa City. 



These specimens have been found in large numbers on de- 

 caying branches in woods near Iowa City. The plants are 

 large and attractive and may be found in clusters of several 

 each, growing from beneath the bark of decaying wood. The 

 light colored hymenium contrasts strongly with the very dark 

 exterior. The hymenium has a reddish tint which suggests 

 its specific name. This species is easily distinguished from 

 Bulgaria inquinans by its light colored, concave hymenium. 

 The spores in this species are equal-sided. 



Bulgaria inquinans Fries. 

 Plate XXIV, fig. n. 



1791 Peziza nigra Bulliard, Champ., t. 4, p. 460. 



1801 Peziza inquinans Persoon, Syn. Fung., p. 631. 



1823 Bulgaria inquinans Fries, Syst. Myc. II, p. 167. 



1861 Bulgaria inquinans Berkeley, Outl. Brit. Fung., p. 375, pi. 22, fig. 7. 



1871 Bulgaria inquinans Cooke, Handbk. of Brit. Fung. II, p. 732, fig. 239, 



1887 Bulgaria inquinans Phillips, Brit. Disc, p. 314. 



