MOLLISIA. 209 



diameter, becoming smaller upwards, and running out at the 

 margin into very short, obtuse, septate, parallel, pale hyphae ; 

 asci clavate, apex narrowed, pedicel short, stout 8-spored ; 

 spores hyaline, very narrowly fusiform, subcylindrical, or 

 with a tendency to become slightly clavate, irregularly 2- 

 seriate, straight, 6-10 X l'5-2 p.; paraphyses hyaline, 2 p. 

 thick at the tip. 



Peziza atrata, Pers., Syn. Fung., p. 669. 



Mollisia atrata, vars. asparagi, oenanthes, and ulmariae, 

 Phil., Brit. Disc., p. 182. 



On dead stems of herbaceous plants ; asparagus, dropwort 

 (Oenanthe), willow-herb, evening primrose, ragwort, &c. 



Specimens examined in Moug. and Nestler, Stirp. Vog., 

 n. 1190. 



Distinguished from M. mercurialis in the glabrous ascophore, 

 and from M. cinerea in not growing on wood. 



Var. eupatoricola : Phil., Elv. Brit., exs., n. 179 (called 

 Peziza atrata, forma eupatoricola). 



Spores straight or slightly curved, narrowly fusiform, 

 sometimes becoming 1-septate, 10-18 X 2 p.; paraphyses 

 hyaline, rather stout, slightly thickened upwards ; remainder 

 as in typical form. 



On dead stems of Eupatoriwn cannabinum. 



Specimen examined in Phil., Elv. Brit., n. 179. 



Mollisia mercurialis. Sacc., Syll., viii. n. 1350 ; Rehm, 

 Krypt. Flora, Disc., p. 528. 



Ascophores scattered or gregarious, sessile, closed and 

 almost globose at first, then becoming saucer-shaped ; disc 

 greyish, margin erect, whitish, minutely fimbriate, externally 

 olive-brown or blackish, rough with minute raised points 

 consisting of outgrowths of the cortical cells; ^-| mm. 

 across ; excipulum parenchymatous, cortical cells irregular, 

 polygonal and sooty-olive near the base, 78 p. diameter, 

 running out at the margin into free, septate, obtuse hyphae 

 ofdiiferent lengths and forming the fimbriate margin ; asci 

 clavate, apex rather narrowed, base stout, obliquely truncate, 

 8-rflpored ; spores hyaline, continuous, very narrowly fusiform 

 or subcylindrical, straight or slightly curved, 2-seriate, 

 7-10 x 1*5 /A; paraphyses slender, hyaline, 3 p. thick at the 

 broadened tip. 



VOL. iv. p 



