126 



On an old broom, Albany, N. Y. (Peck). 



This species is closely allied to Ch. elatum, but much smaller and 

 neater. It is wholly black and without the fibrous base of Ch. elatum. 

 The hairs are more delicate and not half the diameter, and the sporidia 

 are scarcely more than half as long and broad. 



Ch. melioloides, C. & P. 27th Rep. N. Y. State Mus. p. 106. 



Perithecia scattered, minute, brown, globose, arising from a 

 branching, septate mycelium. Bristles black, rough, two or three 

 times dichotoinously branched above, the branches spreading. Sporidia 

 ovoid or subglobose, pale brown, 4-5x3-3 \ /jl. 



On culms of Zea Mays, New York, New Jersey and Louisiana. 



Differs from Ch. funicolum principally in its more branching- 

 hairs which cover the perithecia about uniformly above and below. 



FAMILY. SORDARIEiE. 



Perithecia either superficial or sunk in the matrix, with their upper 

 part more or less projecting or sometimes erumpent, without (or more 

 seldom) with a stroma, in which, when present, they are immersed: 

 of soft, watery substance, brown or black, often translucent, with a 

 decided round ostiolum. Asci generally with the apical membrane 

 strongly thickened; paraphyses present. Sporidia dark colored, one 

 or more-celled. 



Mostly coprophilous ; short lived in comparison with the liosel- 

 liuias and other similar forms from which they are also distinguished 

 by their membranaceous or coriaceo-membranaceous perithecia. 



SORDARIA, Ces. & De Not. 



Schema di Classif. d. Sferiacei, p. 51. 



Without stroma. Perithecia immersed, often finally erumpent 

 and free, or superficial from the first, membranaceous, soft, black. 

 Sporidia one-celled, brown or black, without appendages but gar- 

 rounded with a gelatinous envelope. 



S. humana, (Fckl.) (Plate 17) 



Hypocopra humana, Fckl. Symb. p. 241. 

 Sordaria humana, Winter Die Deutschen Sordarien p. 21. 

 Exsicc. Fckl. F. Rhen. 1801. 



Perithecia thickly gregarious, buried, globose, with a short, cyl- 

 indrical, top-shaped, bare, shining neck, black, glabrous, about \ mm - 

 diam. Asci cylindrical, short-stipitate, with an obtuse or flattened 

 apex which is strongly thickened, about 130x15 /*; paraphyses ven- 



