HELOTIUM. 233 



shortly stipitate, spores 2-seriate ; growing on plants. Cya- 

 thicula differs in the toothed margin of the ascophore ; Ciboria 

 differs in the ascophore being larger, stem elongated, hypo- 

 thecium brown. Mollisia is distinguished by the soft and 

 fleshy consistency of the ascophore, larger cortical cells, and 

 in being truly sessile on a broad base. 



In the following attempt to group the species into sec- 

 tions, it must be remembered that the characters selected are 

 not absolute, i.e., although species are, as a rule, most abun- 

 dant on a particular host, it does not follow that they may 

 not occur on a different one. 



A. Growing on wood, lark, or branches. 

 * Ascophore sessile or sribsessile. 



Helotium claro-flavum. Berk., Outl., p. 372 ; Phil. r 

 Brit. Disc., p, 165, pi. 5, fig. 31; Sacc., Syll., viii. n. 914. 



Gregarious or sometimes crowded, sessile and attached by 

 a central point, or rarely very shortly stipitate, globose and 

 closed when young, gradually expanding until plane, the 

 margin remaining slightly raised, and sometimes wavy; 

 firm, glabrous, clear yellow, disc darkest, up to 1 mm. across ; 

 cortical cells elongated and very narrow, running parallel 

 from base to margin ; asci narrowly clavate, apex narrowed, 

 pedicel slender, 8-spored ; spores 1-seriate or with a tendency 

 to become 2 seriate upwards, hyaline, continuous, straight, 

 sometimes 2-guttulate, elliptical, ends obtuse, 7-10 x 2-5-3 

 p.; paraphyses hyaline, slender, slightly thickened at the 

 tip. 



Peziza claroflava, Grev., Flor. Ed., p. 424. 



On decayed wood and branches. 



Specimen named by Greville, and now in the Kew herba- 

 rium, examined. 



Closely allied to H. imberbe, differing in the bright yellow 

 colour of the ascophore. E. lenticulare is also allied, but has 

 larger spores. 



Helotium lechithinum. Mass. (figs. 10-13, p. 290.) 



Gregarious, sessile, hemispherical, then quite plane or even 



slightly convex with a very slightly raised, crisped margin, 



