KEY TO ORDERS AND FAMILIES 



r. Apothecia with proper exciple 

 s. Apothecia typically with thalline 

 exciple 

 b. Apothecia open from the first, stalked, saddle- 

 shaped, pileate to club-shaped, terrestrial as 

 a rule 

 4. Asci in a closed globoid body or ascoma, con- 

 taining cavities or veins 



a. Ascomata epigean 



(i) Asconriata fleshy with locules at the mar- 

 gin, forming swellings on branches of 

 living trees 



(2) Ascomata minute, waxy to subcarbonous, 



crowded with locules containing a single 

 ascus each 



(3) Ascomata fragile, asci evanescent, then 



powdery within ; epizoic 



b. Ascomata hypogean 



(i) Ascomata woody, crustose or carbonous, 



powdery within 

 (2) Ascomata fleshy or waxy, not powdery but 

 veined or lacunose within 

 II. Asci exposed, apothecium lacking 



1. Spores free in the ascus 



a. Asci parallel and crowded, usually deforming 



living plant parts 



b. Asci solitary or grouped irregularly, saprophytic 



or when parasitic scarcely deforming the 

 host 



c. Asci abnormal, rare ; mycelium poorly de- 



veloped, propagating by budding 



2. Spore wall united with ascus wall, or asci disap- 



pearing at maturity 



a. Spores and ascus united ; aecidia and uredinia 



often present 



b. Asci disappearing early, leaving a firm or 



powdery spore-mass 



Basidiomycetes 



I. Hymenium variously modified, exposed at maturity 



1. Basidia septate crosswise or lengthwise, or fur- 



cate; usually gelatinous 



2. Basidia not septate; pileus fleshy, waxy, leathery 



or woody 



a. Hymenium more or less uniform 



(1) Pileus funnel-form, dimidiate or resupinate 



(2) Pileus club-shaped, coralloid or filiform 



b. Hymenium modified into teeth, pores or gills 



(1) Hymenium of teeth or granules 



(2) Hymenium of pores or tubes 



Thelephoraceae 

 Clavariaceae 



Hydnaceae 

 Polyporaceae 



106 

 105 



107 

 108 



