THE GENERA OF THE NIDULARIACEJE. 



There are only five known genera of Nidulariaceae, and excepting 

 the genus Cyathus, each embraces a very few species. The genera are 

 distinguished by the following characters : 



Peridium cup shaped, with walls of three layers. Peridioles attached 

 by funiculi. Tunica thin or wanting Cyathus. 



Peridium cup shaped, of a single layer. Peridioles with funiculi. 

 Tunica thick 7 Crucibulum. 



Peridium cup shaped, of one (or two) layers. Peridioles without 

 funiculi Nidula. 



Peridium globose, friable, of a single layer. Peridioles without funi- 

 culi Nidularia. 



All the above have numerous peridioles, while the following genus has 

 a single peridiole in each cup Sphaerobolus. 





THE GENUS NIDULARIA. 



Peridium globose, of a single layer, without an epiphragm, de- 

 hiscing by the regular breaking away of the walls or sometimes by a 

 circumscissile opening. Peridioles numerous, filling the cavity, and 

 imbedded in a mucilaginous substance (when moist). Not attached 

 by funiculi. 



The genus Nidularia (in my opinion) embraces one rare, but widely 

 distributed species, Nidularia pisiformis, three other species, each 

 known from a single collection, N. australis (Chile), N. Duriaeana 

 (Mauritius) and N. fusispora (Australia), also one anomalous species, 

 N. Heribaudii (France). All are very different from the other Nid- 

 uariaceae in not having cup-shaped peridia. The peridia are globose, 

 with brittle, fragile walls, which often break away entirely, leaving a 

 pile of naked peridioles. The peridioles of all (excepting Heribaudii) 

 are brown. 



NIDULARIA PISIFORMIS (Plate '102). Peridium globose, 

 filled with small brown peridioles. Walls of the peridium of a single 

 layer, breaking irregularly or (sometimes, I think) in a circumscissile 

 manner. Sometimes the peridium breaks away entirely, leaving a pile 

 of naked peridioles. Surface of the peridium, particularly when young 

 (see Plate 102, Fig. 6), cinnamon brown, flocculent, pulverulent*, 

 becoming lighter color and smoother when old. Usually the peridium 

 is tubercular from pressure on the peridioles. Peridioles small, i to 



7 The distinction between Cyathus and Crucibulum is not one marked difference that can be used 

 as a key character, but rather the sum of a number of slight differences, which, taken together, make a 



1 good genus. Thus, they do not have exactly the same peridia, epiphragms, tumcae, or funiculi. 



8 The name of the American plant Nidularia pulvinata means " cushion shape," and does not 

 refer to the pulverulent surface as I have always (through a confusion of the two words) supposed. 



