249 FUNGI. 
whilst in warmer latitudes the genus Meliola appears to take 
their place. 
The Elveliacei are fleshy fungi, of which the larger forms are 
terrestrial; Mforchella, Gyromiira, and Helvella mostly growing 
in woods, Mitrula, Spathularia, and Leotia in swampy places,’ 
and Geoglossum amongst grass. The very large genus Peziza 
is divided into groups, of which Alewrie are mostly terrostrial. 
This group includes nearly all the large-sized species, although 
a few belong to the next. Zachnee are partly terrestrial and 
partly epiphytal, the most minute species being found on twigs 
and leaves of dead plants. In Phialea the species are nearly 
entirely epiphytal, as is also the case in Helotium and allied 
genera. Some species of Peziza are developed from the curious 
masses of compact mycelium called Sclerotia. A few are rather 
eccentric in their habitats. P. viridaria, P. domestica, and P. 
hemastigma, grow on damp walls; P. granulata and some others 
on dung. Peziza Bullit was found growing on a cistern. P. the- 
lebolvides appears in profusion on spent hops. P. epispheria, 
P. clavariarum, P. vulgaris, Helotium prutnosum, and others are 
parasitic on old fungi. One or two species of Helotium grow on 
submerged sticks, so as to be almost aquatic, a circumstance ot 
rare occurrence in fungi. Other Discomycetes are similar in 
their habitats to the Elvellacei. The group to which the old 
genus Ascobolus belongs is in a great measure confined to the 
dung of various animals, although there are two or three ligni- 
colous species; and Ascophanus saccharinus was first found on 
old leather, Ascophanus testaceus on old sacking, &e. Ascomyces 
is, perhaps, the lowest form which ascomycetous fungi assume, 
and the species are parasitic on growing plants, distorting the 
leaves and fruit, constituting themselves pests to the cultivators 
of peach, pear, and plum trees. 
The Spheriacei include a very large number of species which 
grow on rotten wood, bark, sticks, and twigs; another group is 
developed on dead herbaceous stems; yet another is confined to 
dead or dying leaves. One genus, Torrubia, grows chiefly on 
insects; Hypomyces is parasitic on dead fungi; Claviceps is deve- 
loped from ergot, Poronia on dung, Polystigma on living leaves, 
