or more Interesting Fungi collected during the past year. 95 



Saccharomyces anomalus, Harss., described in the Annals of 

 Botany 1 in June last, and several other yeasts now under observa- 

 tion are the nearest allies we have to these Endomyces. Mr 

 Barker is at present working on another yeast which appears to 

 be quite new and is remarkable in several important respects. 



From these lower Ascomycetes we may pass to the following, 

 Ctenomyces crispatus, Eid., and Gymnoascus Reessii, Bar., both 

 brought in by Mr Biffen ; Onygena equina, Willd., a fungus which 

 digests horn, and the life-history of which I worked out in 1899. 



Cordyceps ophioglossoides, Ehrp. 



I found this in Rothiemurchus Forest last autumn, having 

 nearly stepped on a patch of the dark olive club-shaped asco- 

 phores. 



On digging, the fungus was easily traced to a brilliant yellow 

 mycelium running in the tuber-like fructifications of Elaphomyces 

 variegatus, one of the false-truffles. 



An interesting point, shown in the museum specimen, is that 

 the mycelium of the Elaphomyces is traceable into the roots of 

 the Pine, on which it forms mycorrhiza. Hence, as the specimen 

 exhibited shows, we have the Cordyceps parasitic on the Ela- 

 phomyces, and the latter on the Pine roots, all linked up by their 

 respective mycelial strands. 



Most species of Cordyceps occur on Insects, which they kill 

 below ground, and some authorities remove C. ophioglossoides to 

 another genus — Cordylia. It has also been known as Torrubia in 

 the past. 



The fungus is now being investigated further. 



Leotia lubrica, Pers., seems at least worth mentioning. I 

 gathered it in Yorkshire this autumn. The beautiful green 

 alcoholic extract obtained from the olive-green ascophores would 

 appear to be worth examination. 



Of Discomycetes we have had several interesting species. 

 Apart from species of Exoascus and Taphrina, those curious forms 

 which cause the deformed " pocket plums " in Primus, and the 

 queer " Witches Brooms " of Birches, Alders, &c, I may note the 

 frequent recurrence of Peziza omphalodes, Bull, rendered classical 

 by Kihlman's work 2 and Harper's recent confirmation of it 3 , on the 

 pots of sand, sterilised by heat, employed in Miss Dawson's cultures. 

 Frank also pointed out how apt this species is to occur on soil 

 which has been heated. There are several such fungi which affect 

 burnt substrata, and interesting problems arise in connection 

 therewith. 



1 Barker, "A Fragrant Yeast," Annals of Botany, June 1900, p. 215. 



2 Kihlman. See De Bary, Morph. and Biol, of Fungi, p. 208. 



3 Harper, Ann. of Bot. Sept. 1900. 



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