SPECIMENS IN OUR COLLECTION. 

 Tobago, H. Millen. 



SECTION 3. 



CYATHUS STERCOREUS (Plate 108). Cups varying from 

 cylindrical, bell-shaped, to more or less infundibulifonn, sessile or 

 stalked at the base, light brown in color, 27 covered with shaggy, woolly, 

 matted hairs. Old specimens become smoother, and the matted hairs 

 are not so marked. Within the cups are even and not striate. Tunica 

 none. Peridioles black, about 2 mm. in diameter, with a thick, rigid, 

 outer wall, consisting largely of rigid, deeply colored fibrils. The 

 peridioles are usually attached to the cups by funiculi, but rarely 

 specimens occur that have only a few of the lower peridioles attached, 

 those in the upper part of the cup being destitute of funiculi. Spores 

 large, subglobose, varying much in size, even in the same peridiole. 

 In the United States the average size is 30 to 40 mic. In Jamaica 

 and India they run from 26 to 30 mic., and in Japan they are still 

 smaller, from 1 6 to 24 mic. 



This is probably the most common species that grows in the United 

 States. It is a manure-loving plant, and is found sometimes on dry 

 cakes of manure. Usually it grows in such manured places as lawns, 

 gardens, soil in hot houses, rubbish, etc. I have seen the manured 

 soil under currant bushes literally covered with the little cups, ex- 

 tending yards in extent. It is of wide distribution in the world, and 

 probably occurs in every country where manure occurs. It is common 

 in Japan and Australia. I have seen it from Mexico, Madagascar, 

 Jamaica, Africa, Antigua, India and South America. It occurs in 

 Europe, but strange to say, is a very rare plant in Europe. 28 . While 

 there is no real resemblance between this plant and Cyathus vernicosus, 

 it is often confused with vernicosus. 29 However, there are no good 

 reasons whatever for confusion with vernicosus if attention is paid 

 to the spores. 



FORMS. It is very constant in its leading characters, viz : the nature of 

 the shaggy coat of the cup, the thick, peculiar, outer peridiole wall, the large, 

 subglobose spores. It varies so much as to size and shape of the cups that 

 scarcely two collections are the same. The form, with a stalked cup, slender 

 and infundibuliform, was called by Tulasne Cyathus Lesueurii. Taking our 

 idea of this form from Tulasne's specimens, we would consider the other 

 extreme form, which grows on cakes of manure and is unstalked, short and 



27 The specimens I received from G. A. Gammie, Poona, India, were of so light a color that I did 

 not recognize them at first. 



28 I have it from but three of my correspondents in Europe. At Kew there is but a single collec- 

 tion made in Europe, and at Paris not one. 



29 Thus Ravenel's herbarium has many collections of Cyathus stercoreus labeled Cyathus ver- 

 nicosus. It was twice distributed thus misnamed by Ravenel and twice by Ellis. Miss Marshall's il- 

 lustration of vernicosus is evidently stercoreus. The photogravure that we sent out (No. 7) many 

 years ago as Crucibulum vulgare was made from Cyathus stercoreus. See correction, p. 88, Myc. 

 Notes.) 



