270 ASCOMYCETES. 



oval hyaline conidia are abjointed. These germinate at 

 once ill water, and infect young developing shoots or needles 

 of Douglas fir, silver fir, spruce, and larch. Death of these 

 ensues in a few days, and finally the whole plant is killed. 

 On the dead needles a copious development of Botrytis takes 

 place, and the conidia being easily detached, spread the 

 disease in damp localities. The mycelium and conidiophores 

 are very sensitive to drought. The sclerotia serve to carry 

 the fungus over winter, and may be found in autumn and 

 winter. 



I have found JvMiperis communis with its young shoots dead, 

 and sclerotia similar to the above on the needles. 



Whether Sclerotinia Kerneri Wettst. found on needles of Abies pectinata 

 is parasitic or not, I do not know. 



Scl. galanthi Ludw.^ Ludwig observed this disease on 

 snowdrops. In place of the flower a shapeless mass was pro- 

 duced, completely covered with conidiophores of Botr/jfis. The 

 sclerotia develop inside the tuber. 



Scl. pseudotuberosa (liehm). (Sd. Batschiana Zopf or Cihoria 

 pseudotuherosa liehm) (Britain). The cotyledons of acorns are 

 sometimes found replaced by a firm sclerotium, from which a 

 peziza-fruit {Cihoria) is produced. Nothing is known in regard 

 to mode of infection or the parasitism of this species. 



EU-PEZIZEAE. 



The apothecia, at first closed, open out to form saucer- 

 shaped or cup-like discs, with a margin. The discs have 

 usually a thick hypothecium ; they are fieshy or waxy in 

 texture, and are often brightly coloured. 



Dasyscypha. 



The waxy or membranous ascocarps are sessile or shortly 

 stalked, and beset on the outer surface and margin with hairs 

 of various colours. The asci dehisce by a round apical opening. 

 The spores are ellipsoidal or spindle-shaped, unicellular, and 

 hyaline. The paraphyses are thread-like. Most of the forms 

 are saprophytic on dead plants : the following species alone 

 is known to be parasitic. 



1 Ludwig, Lehrbiich d. niedtrtn Kryp/ogameii. 



