tissue. The genus Cyathus includes more species than all the other 

 genera of Nidulariaceae combined. But two common species occur 

 In Europe (Cyathus striatus and Cyathus vernicosus) and in America 

 in addition to these two, we have another common species (Cyathus 

 stercoreus). Most of the species are of warm countries, and very 

 different from the above three. The genus Cyathus is readily divided 

 into two sections : 19 



EUCYATHUS. Cups striate inside. 

 OLLA. Cups even and smooth inside. 



The greatest difference that is found in the species of Cyathus is 

 the size of the spores. Some species have very large spores, others 

 very small spores, and most of the species have medium-sized spores. 

 We would divide the genus into five sections according to the general 

 nature of the cups and peridioles. 



Section i. Eucyathus Cups striate. Tunica none or very thin. Outer 

 peridiole wall thick, of coarse, colored fibrils. 



Section 2. Eucyathus Cups striate. Tunica none, or a thin membrane. 

 Outer peridiole wall not strongly different from the inner. 



Section 3. Olla Cups even, with strigose, shaggy hairs. Tunica none. 

 Outer peridiole wall with coarse-colored fibrils. 



Section 4. Olla Cups even, with hirsute, hispid, coarse hairs. Tunica a 

 thin, soft membrane. Outer peridiole wall not strongly different from the inner. 



Section 5. Olla Cups even, rigid, comparatively smooth, with fine subap- 

 pressed hairs. Outer peridiole wall not strongly different from the inner. 



SECTION i. 



CYATHUS POEPPIGII (Plate 105). Cups conic, bell-shaped, 

 8-io x 5-6 mm., dark brown, strigose, hirsute, striate within and 

 strongly striate externally. Peridioles black, lJ^-2 mm. in diameter, 

 with a thick, fibrous, outer peridiole wall. Tunica none. Spores very 

 large, varying much in size, even in the same peridiole, 20 but always 

 large. Usually 24-28 x 30-42 mic. We have noted them as large as 

 32 x 50 mic. 



This is a frequent species in warm countries, and probably occurs 

 throughout the warm regions of the earth. We have it from four 

 widely distant localities, and have seen many others at Paris and Lon- 

 don. It seems to replace Cyathus striatus of temperate regions, and 

 to have very much the same habits. In Samoa we found it growing 

 densely caespitose on a piece of rotten cloth. 



19 We include in " Eucyathus" only those species that are distinctly, strongly striate. Some of 

 the species placed in " Olla ' when old have faint striae, but we feel they are better placed in " Olla " 

 than " Eucyathus." 



20 We give the measurements of six spores, all averaging small, from the same peridiole of a 

 Samoan specimen : 16 x 32 ; 12 x 28 ; 12 x 20 ; 12 x 16 : 12 x 34 ; 14 x 40. 



2 15 



