THE FUNICULUS. In the genera Cyathus and Crucibulum the peridioles 

 are attached to the cups by elastic cords called ftmiculi. When dry they are 



^^^^^ v brittle, but when wet they are elastic 



^flMjII^^, V J^T~^^ :; ^tr : === ::;::=::: N\ an< ^ ca P a ble of long extension. It is 



^H ... ^m /^/^. IT l//y eas y to stretch them five or six inches, 



H BP (LjL \^^U\ I) ///I and wnen extended they appear like 



I^HIC / x ''11 threads of cob-web. Our figure (i) 



W vTv^ /^l[ Jj shows a peridiole (enlarged) with the 



/^vv ll Mi \& funiculus attached. The microscopic 



\ u vJ L/iS5c^^v structure of the funiculus is very com- 



) (L (( iifeO^^ \\ plex, and Tulasne has explained it at 



r V^ V\ /W/y^^ ll length. It is more simple in the genus 



^L^lvY\C^ Uw Crucibulum than in Cyathus. The struc- 



'C ^TvlT^Mr^ ture cons ' s t s f hyaline filaments which 



\ ^=^^ are nodular at intervals. Our figure (2), 



Fig i. Fig 2 taken from Tulasne, will illustrate the 



ordinary appearance of these threads 



under the microscope. Genera are based on the presence or absence of funiculi. 

 Thus Cyathus 2 and Crucibulum have funiculi ; Nidula, Nidularia and Sphaero- 

 bolus have none. 



THE TUNICA. Surrounding the peridioles of most species is a thin, while 

 membrane, called the tunica. In most species the tunica is so thin that when dry 

 it is seen with difficulty, but it swells and is more evident when the peridiole 

 is soaked in water. Crucibulum vulgare is the only species with a relatively 

 thick and evident tunica. In our cross section of a section of the peridiole of 



Fig. 3. 



Fig. 4. 



Crucibulum vulgare (Fig. 3 enlarged) the tunica is readily seen surrounding the 

 (black) peridiole wall. In figure 4 (peridioles of Crucibulum vulgare. enlarged) 

 a broken tunica is evident on one of the peridioles. In the genus Cyathus 

 the tunica is often an uncertain factor, for it is so thin it is often difficult to de- 

 cide whether it exists or not. Where it exists it is always more evident \\licn 

 the peridiole is soaked in water. In some species (notably the common Cy- 

 athus stercoreus) I am satisfied there is no tunica whatever. Cyathus strialus 

 (the European form, not the American form) has the most evident tunica in 

 the genus Cyathus. 



THE WALLS OF THE PERIDIOLES. The outer wall of the peridiole 

 is of a hard, horny nature, and must be soaked (about twelve hours) in water 

 before it is practicable to section it. Two very different structures are found 



2We have rarely seen collections of Cyathus stercoreus where the upper peridioles in the cups 

 are not attached by funiculi. We have considered it only as a kind of lapsus for in the same collec- 

 tion we find cups with all the peridioles attached and otherwise the plants have all the characters of 

 the species. It was Miss White, in reality who first discovered that Cyathus stercoreus does not al- 

 ways have funiculi (Cfr. her article " Cyathia ? Sp."), but she was so unfamiliar with the character of 

 the species that she was unable to correctly interpret her discovery. It is a feature of inexperience 

 that anything out of the ordinary 



ily be explained by the theory of a " new spec 



4 



