458 FUNGUS-FLORA. 



HELVELLA. Linn, (emended), (figs. 17, 18, p. 188.) 



Ascophore stipitate, pileus irregular, not subglobose and 

 closed when young, thin, formed of 24 drooping lobes, or 

 crisped and irregularly wavy, often more or less attached to 

 the stem for some distance down; under surface glabrous, 

 minutely velvety or furfuraceous, sometimes rugulose or 

 veined ; stem elongated, either stout or slender, often lacunose 

 or ribbed; hypothecium and excipulum formed of densely 

 interwoven hyphae, which pass into a cortex of large cells ; 

 asci cylindrical, 8 -spored ; spores hyaline, continuous, ellip- 

 tical, 1 -seriate; paraphyses septate, clavate. 



Helvella, Linn., Sp. PI., 1648 (1763) ; Fries, Syst. Myc., ii. 

 p. 14; Phil,, Brit. Disc., p. 9 ; Sacc., Syll., viii. p. 17. 



The present genus connects the Peziza with the Helvelleae, 

 differing from the former in the ascophore not being succulent 

 and fleshy, and in not being closed at first and gradually 

 expanding. Certain species included in Helvella approach 

 Peziza in the character mentioned, but their general struc- 

 ture is that of Helvella rather than that of the stipitate 

 Pezizae included in the genera Geopyxis and Acetabula. 



Growing on the ground, rarely on rotten wood. 



* Pileus adnate with the sides of the stem. 



Helvella crispa. Fries, Syst. Myc., ii. p. 14; Cooke, 

 Mycogr., fig. 159; Phil., Brit. Disc., p. 10 ; Sacc., Syll., viii. 

 n. 42. (figs. 17, 18, p. 188). 



Pileus drooping, inflated and lobed, margin wavy, at first 

 adhering to the sides of the stem but soon quite free, 

 minutely pruinose, otherwise quite glabrous, fragile and 

 almost translucent, whitish or tinged yellow, 47 cm. across; 

 stem 6-10 cm. high, 2-4 cm. thick above usually narrowed 

 upwards, with stout anastomosing, more or less plane 

 ribs enclosing irregular elongated pits, hollow, as are also 

 the ribs, minutely pruinose, otherwise glabrous, pure white 

 then tinged yellowish ; hypothecium and excipulum formed 

 of hyaline, slender, densely interwoven hyphae, which pass 

 into a large-celled cortex ; asci cylindrical, 8-spored ; spores 



