496 FUNGUS-FLORA. 



A somewhat anomalous species ; the marginal hairs are 

 somewhat lax and irregular in length for a typical Mollisia ; 

 on the other hand, the hairs are not sufficiently developed 

 for a Dasyscypha, neither do we find the hypotheciimi coloured 

 in the last-named genus. 



Specimen in Phil., Elv. Brit., n. 167, examined. 



(To follow M. lignicola, p. 206.) 



Mollisia carduorum. Mass. 



Gregarious or sometimes confluent, sessile, at first globose 

 and closed, finally becoming almost plane, with a slightly 

 raised margin, contracted and incurved when dry ; disc dingy 

 yellow or dark grey; externally blackish-olive or brown, 

 with a few spreading hyphae at the base, i-l| mm. across ; 

 cortex parenchymatous, cells irregularly polygonal, 5-6 ^ 

 diameter, greyish-olive, running out at the margin into 

 paleiv parallel, septate hyphae ; asci narrowly clavate, apex 

 slightly narrowed, 8-spored ; spores irregularly 2-seriate, 

 elongated, narrowly fusiform or clavate, 2-4-guttulate then 

 1-septate, hyaline, usually very slightly bent, 15-21 x 2-3 //. ; 

 paraphyses slender, septate, very slightly clavate. 



Niptera carduorum, Winter, Flora, 1872, p. 7 (in the re- 

 print) ; Kehm, Krypt.-Flora, Disc., p. 555. 



Pyrenopeziza carduorum, Sacc., Syll., viii. n. 1483. 



On dead stems of thistle (Cnicua arvensis); also on Lappa, 

 according to Rehm. 



West Kilbride, Ayrshire (D. A. Boyd). 



Specimen in Eehm's Ascom., n. 68, examined. 



Very closely allied to Belonidium Arctii, of which it may 

 prove to be a variety with smaller spores. The presence of 

 four guttulae suggest that the spores may become 3-.veptate 

 at maturity. 



(To follow Mollisia digitalina, p. 211.) 



Mollisia mutabilis. Mass. 



Scattered, appearing as minute, dark-brown, downy points, 

 at first globose and closed, then expanded until quite plane, 

 .about \ mm. across ; disc whitish, externally brown ; glab- 

 rous; cortex pareuchymatous, cells subcircular or hexagonal, 

 brownish, 7-10 p. diameter, running out into nairow, elongates 

 cells at the very blunt margin ; asci narrowly clavate, apex 

 narrowed, 8-spored ; spores hyaline, irregularly 2-seriate, 



