

NIDULARIACEAE. 



The Nidularjaceae are well known as the "Bird's-nest fungi" so 

 called because the little cups filled with little "eggs" are likened to 

 miniature bird-nests. In mycology they are classed as Gastromycetes! 

 -it to me they seem to have very little in common with other Gastro- 

 mycetes. They are found all over the world, and there is probably no 

 country that does not have several species. 



We have been particularly interested in these little bird's-nest 

 fungi for several years, and have persistently importuned our corre- 

 spondents especially those in the tropics, to send us specimens. That 

 our appeals have not been m vain the two hundred and more collec- 

 lons, as acknowledged in detail in this pamphlet, are in evidence 

 We wish to thank each individual who has aided by sending speci- 

 mens. The work on this pamphlet was done in the museum of crypto- 

 gamic botany at Pans, France. We had, however, previously made 

 studies of the material at Kew, and most of the historic specimens in 

 this family are preserved either at Paris or Kew. 



DEFINITION OF TERMS 





EPIPHRAGM. The thin membrane, covering the mouth of 



' layer stretched across the mouth of the cup like the head of a 



PERIDIOLES The little "eggs" that are found in the interior of the 

 cups we call pendioles. Usually they are called sporangiales but "like the 

 term pendiole better. They are always lenticular in shapf, usually one or two 

 (rarely three) millimeters in diameter. The color of the peridioles is chTr- 

 actensic of the genera. Cyathus has black peridioles; Nidularia with one 

 anomalous exception) Nidula and Sphaerobolus have brown peridioles; Cruci- 

 bulum has black peridioles, but covered with a thick, white tunica so that 

 they appear white. The peridioles contain the spores of the plant which are 



. 



plint S V l r n a dw?o"e ri f e \rned SO an e icl f s the th bot ?? ists ^^ th - at the peridbleTwere the seed7o7 



