160 FUNGUS-FLORA. 



Ascophores scattered, sessile, at first globose then expand- 

 ing, the disc becoming slightly concave, margin minutely 

 crenulate, externally glabrous, dull purple, 12 mm. across ; 

 excipulum parenchymatous, cortical cells large, polygonal, 

 tinged purple ; asci clavate, base narrowed into a slender 

 pedicel, 8-spored ; spores irregularly 2-seriate, elliptical, at 

 first hyaline, then purple, finally brown, epispore with more 

 or less longitudinal, anastomosing wrinkles, 2123 x 10-12 /*, ; 

 paraphyses hyaline, slender, septate, slightly longer than the 

 asci, involved in mucus. 



On rabbit dung. Also said to have been met with on 

 cow-dung. 



Type specimen examined. 



Ascobolus glaber. Pers. Obs., i. p. 34, t. 4, fig. 7; 

 Phil., Brit. Disc., p. 288 ; Sacc., Syll., viii. n. 2144. 



Ascophores crowded or rarely scattered, sessile, but more 

 or less narrowed towards the base and of a pyriform or 

 obconic form, disc becoming plane or even slightly convex ; 

 glabrous and almost translucent when fresh, up to 1 mm. 

 across, usually tawny-brown, but sometimes whitish, or with 

 a reddish-purple tinge ; excipulum parenchymatous, cortical 

 cells polygonal, 18-25 p. diameter; asci broadly clavate, 

 base rather stout, crooked, 8-spored ; spores irregularly 

 2-seriate, elliptical, ends obtuse, hyaline then deep violet, 

 more or less longitudinally wrinkled, the wrinkles running 

 into each other, 25-28 x 12-14 /x; paraphyses septate, rather 

 stout, hyaline, tips not thickened, longer than the asci. 



On dung of cow, horse, rabbit, &c. 



Specimen in Phillips' Elv. Brit., n. 96, examined. 



Ascophores about |-| line broad; they are decidedly 

 pyriform when removed from the matrix. The convex disc 

 is covered with black papillae, which are the summits of the 

 asci, containing the black spores. (Phil.) 



Ascobolus aerugineus. Fr., Obs., ii. p. 310; Boud. 

 Ascob., p. 32, pi. 7, fig. 72 ; Phil., Brit. Disc., p. 287. 



Ascophores gregarious, sessile, globose or subcylindrical 

 and closed when young, then expanding until the disc is 

 almost or quite plane, and somewhat marginate, and studded 

 with black points, externally glabrous ; yellowish green, 



