CLASSIFICATION 485 



Many grow on the ground, a still greater numher occur on dead 

 wood, branches, leaves, and dead vegetable matter generally. One 

 family occurs on the dung of various animals, and is remarkable 

 for the beauty of its spores. Finally, certain species are parasitic 

 on plants. 



The following families contain species sufficiently large to be 

 recognized in the field. 



Key to the Families 



Ascophore vertical, with a distinct stem, conical, clavate, sub- 

 globose or compressed, fleshy or waxy ; surface even, with brain-like 

 folds, or with coarse honeycomb-like depressions. Helvellacecp. 



Ascophore cup-shaped, saucer-shaped, or plane, often brightly 

 coloured, either sessile or supported on a more or less elongated 

 stem. PezizacecB. 



Helvellace^ 



The representatives of this order present a great variety of form 

 and structure. The one common feature is that the hymenium or 

 spore-bearing surface is exposed from the earliest stage, and not 

 gradually revealed by the expansion and straightening out of the 

 edge of the ascophore. The species are stipitate and the distinction 

 between the stem and the ascophore is well marked. Some genera, 

 as Geoglossum, Mitnila, etc., bear a superficial resemblance to 

 species of Clavaria. In the genus Verpa the ascophore closely 

 resembles a thimble supported at the top of a long stem. In 

 Morchella the species are mostly large, the globose or conical 

 ascophore, furnished on the outside with large, irregularly polygonal 

 pits or depressions, is supported on a stout stem. 



Helvella 



Ascophore stipitate, cap irregular, thin, formed of 2-4 drooping 

 lobes, or sometimes almost saddle-shaped, sometimes crisped and 

 irregularly wavy, often more or less attached to the stem for some 

 distance down the sides ; under surface scurfy or velvety, some- 

 times with raised veins ; stem elongated, often ribbed or lacunose 

 (spores i-celled, colourless, elliptical). ' ' 



This genus connects the Pezizaceae with the Helvellaceee, differing 

 from the former in the disc of the ascophore not being exposed by 

 gradual expansion, and in not being fleshy and succulent. 



H. crispa (PI. XXXVIII, fig. 2). — Cap drooping, inflated and 

 lobed, edge \\'avy, fragile and almost 'translucent, thin, whitish or 

 tinged yellow, almost smooth, i|-2| in. across. 



H. ephippium.—Ca.p 2-3 -lobed, often more or less saddle-shaped, 

 thin, bistre or greyish, under surface downy or scurfy, greyish, J-| in. 

 across; stem thin, elastic, even, scurfy, greyish, I-5 in. high (spores 

 elliptical, 16-18 xioV). 



