I902J THREE NEW GENERA OF THE HIGHER FUNGI 4 1 



intermingled with the supporting hyphae. Spores smooth, hya- 

 line, one-celled. Interior not disintegrating into a powdery 

 mass at maturity. At present one species as follows : 



Eoterfezia parasitica Atkinson, n. sp. — Fruit bodies subglo- 

 bose to kidney shaped, white, fleshy, 100-300 X 100-200 /x, ses- 

 sile, closely attached to the perlthecia of the host, the mycelium 

 issuing from the inside of the perithecium in a broad, stout strand, 

 and then radiating. Wall of the fruit body distinct and well 

 differentiated, but very thin (3-5/x), membranaceous, and undif- 

 ferentiated, with here and there rather long free branches of 

 mycelium, but not distinctly hairy. Sterile avenues radiating 

 from the point of attachment with the host, and branching as 

 they approach the periphery, thin, but distinct, and separating 

 the fertile areas into thin plates in which the asci are inter- 

 mingled with the hyphae. Asci elliptical-oblong, 15-20 X 

 8-io/x. Spores elliptical-oblong, smooth, 3-3.5 X 1.5-2 ju, bise- 

 riate. — Parasitic on perithecia of a Sordaria, Ithaca, N. Y. 



It might be as well to consider the position which the Eoterfeziaceae 

 occupy in relation to the other families of the Plectascineae. When I first 

 discovered the plant, I was impressed with the resemblance of the asci and 

 spores to those of Ascocorticium of the Protodiscineae, and those of some 

 species of Endomyces of the Protoascineae. It is probably more nearly 

 related to the latter. But the Gymnoascaceae, especially the genus Arachni- 

 otus, show very close relationship to Endomyces, both in the arachnoid envelop 

 and m the undifferentiated condition of the fertile portion. Eoterfezia is per- 

 haps an offshoot from such a plant as Arachniotus. The relationship of the 

 families might be suggested by the following scheme : 



^ Aspergillaceae - - (? Erysiphaceae). 



? Onygenaceae. 



Gymnoascaceae - - ^ ? Trichocomaceae. 



Elaphomycetaceae. 

 Eoterfeziaceae - - \ Terfeziaceae. 



KEY TO THE GENERA OF PLECXASCINEAE. 



Interior of fruit body undifferentiated, 



Wall of fruit body arachnoid, simple - - - Gymnoascaceae 



Wall of the fruit body firm, thick. 



Fruit bodies not stalked Aspergillaceae 



Fruit bodies stalked 



Onygenaceae 



