168 FUNGUS-FLORA. 



Ascobolus immersus. Pers., Obs., i. p. 35, t. 4, f. 7 ; 

 Phil., Brit. Disc., p. 292 ; Sacc., Syll., viii. D. 2171. 



Gregarious or scattered, eruinpent, somewhat immersed in 

 the matrix at maturity, closed at first, then expanding and 

 becoming almost plane above, narrowed towards the base, 

 soft and somewhat watery, i f mm. across, yellowish-green 

 or amber-colour ; externally minutely hairy, hairs scattered 

 or fasciculate, wall rather thick, conical, aseptate, almost 

 colourless, 30-50 X 6-8 /*, but variable in size ; excipulum 

 parenchymatous ; cortical cells irregularly polygonal, yellow- 

 ish, 1014 p. diameter; asci projecting strongly at maturity, 

 6-10 in number, very large, wall thin, broadly clavate, apex 

 rounded, rather abruptly narrowed into a short, stout 

 pedicel, 8-spored ; spores irregularly 2-seriate, elliptic- 

 oblong, ends rounded, smooth, continuous, cell-wall 34 p, 

 thick; epispore for a long time hyaline, then lilac, finally 

 brown, sometimes more or less longitudinally cracked and 

 showing delicate white streaks, 60-70 x 35-45 p.; para- 

 physes about 3 p. thick, septate, hyaline, tips not thickened, 

 longer than the asci, surrounded by yellow mucilage. 



Ascobolus gigasporus, De Notaris, Disc., p. 360. 



On dung of horse, cow, sheep, goat, goose, &c. 



Specimens in Cooke, Fung. Brit., Exs., n. 397, and Eehm, 

 Ascom., n. 102A, examined. 



Somewhat variable in external appearance, and in the 

 extent to which it is immersed in the matrix, but readily 

 distinguished by the very large asci and spores. 



Ascobolus brunneus. Cooke, Fung. Brit., Exs., n. 286 ; 

 Phil., Brit. Disc., p. 292; Sacc., Syll., viii. n. 2173 (not of 

 Bondier). 



Scattered, sessile, subglobose and closed, then expanding 

 and becoming plane or slightly depressed, pale ochraceous or 

 amber-colour, ^ mm. across ; externally, especially near 

 the margin, sparingly furnished with hyaline or very 

 slightly coloured aseptate, thick-walled, sharp-pointed hairs, 

 tapering gradually from the usually more or less swollen 

 base, 75 130 x 6 10 ft; excipulum parenchymatous; cortical 

 cells irregularly polygonal, yellowish, 8-15 p. diameter; asci 

 broadly cylindric-clavate, apex rounded, abruptly narrowed 

 into a short, slender, curved pedicel, 8-spored ; spores irregu- 



