CLASSIFICATION 489 



stem, and from Morchella in the surface of the ascophore having 

 brain-like folds instead of pits. The species are amongst the largest 

 of the Discomycetes. All grow on the ground. Some are edible. 



G. gigas. — Ascophore subglobose, 3-5 in. diameter, cavernous, 

 coarsely lobed or in irregular, wavy, overlapping pleats, colour 

 various, whitish, ochraceous or with a brown or olive tinge ; stem 

 i-i| in. long and thick, cellular, waxy, whitish, more or less lacu- 

 nose, almost smooth (spores fusiform, 28-33x10-12 p). 



On the ground. Rare. 



G. esculenta. — Ascophore subglobose, rather depressed, 2-3 in. 

 diameter, irregularly hollow, surface wavy and wrinkled, and 

 attached here and there to the stem, brown ; stem i|-2i in. high, 

 I in. thick, even or more or less lacunose, sometimes narrowed 

 upwards, stuffed, then hollow, whitish, minutely downy (spores 

 colourless, elliptical, ends blunt, i-celled, 17-25x9-11 /'). 



Differs from G. gigas by its brown colour and smaller, elliptical 

 spores. Edible. 



On the ground, sandy or scorched places under conifers, etc. 



MiTRULA 



Ascophore stipitate, fleshy, head subglobose, ovate or clavate, 

 even, smooth, attached throughout to the more or less elongated 

 stem (spores narrowly elliptic-fusiform, i- or more celled, colourless). 



Distinguished from Geoglossum by the clear colour of the asco- 

 phore and colourless spores. 



M. phalloides. — Ascophore stipitate, becoming hollow, form 

 variable, clavate, subglobose, or o\'ate, obtuse, often compressed 

 when large, very smooth, entirely attached to the stem, but the 

 lower edge sharply defined and usuallj^ with two small notches on 

 opposite sides, \-\ in. high, and often almost as broad, yellow or 

 orange-yellow ; stem straight or wavy, smooth and with a silky 

 sheen, white or tinged pink or yellow, i-ii in. long (spores becoming 

 2-celled at maturity, 12-15 X3'5-4 /*). 



Usually gregarious or even clustered, soft, quite smooth every- 

 where. 



On decaying leaves in damp places, among Spliagnnm, etc. 



M. viride. — Entirely dingy verdigris-green, ascophore cylin- 

 drical or clavate, tip blunt, sharply marked off from the stem below, 

 hollow, often compressed, rather slimy when wet, about § in. long, 

 stem about the same length as the ascophore, thinner, minutely 

 squamulose (spores i-celled, 15-17 X5 ij). 



On the ground in woods, among moss, decaying leaves, etc. 



M. olivacea. — Somewhat similar to M. viride, but distinguished 

 by its dark olive or purplish colour, becoming blackish green when 

 old. The stem is often yellowish brown. 



On the ground among short grass. Gregarious or tufted. 



