PHACIDEAE. 47 



C. Erumpent, hecoming gwperficial, often caespitose ; corky, cori- 



aceous, or gelatinous. 



Fam. IV. Dermateae. 



Ascophore small, erumpent, corky, coriaceous, or homy, 

 externally scurfy ; mostly caespitose from a common stroma ; 

 colour dingy. 



Fam. Y. Bulgarieae. 



Ascophore subsessile or sessile, gelatinous when moist, 

 homy when dry, turbinate or discoid; often bright-coloured. 



D. Ascophore superficial (e^eeTpt the genus Pseudopeziza, -which 

 is erumpent), fleshy, waxy, or rarely somewhat gelatinous. 



Fam. VI. Ascoboleae. 



Ascophore minute, sessile, fleshy ; asci projecting above 

 the surface of the disc at maturity. The majority grow on 

 dung. 



Fam. VII. Pezizae. 



Ascophore cup-shaped or discoid, often stipitate — fleshy or 

 waxy; asci not projecting above the level of the disc at 

 maturity ; often bright-coloured. 



Fam. VIII. Helvelleae. 



Ascophore stipitate, pUeate, mitrate, or clavate, hymenium 

 external and exposed from the first ; snbstance ' between 

 fleshy and waxy, rarely gelatinous. 



Fam. I. PHACIDIEAE. 



In the present group the ascophore is invariablj' minute, 

 blackish, coriaceous, and either innate or completely im- 

 mersed in the substratum. When more or less circular in 

 outline, the disc is usually exposed by the excipulum splitting 

 in a stellate manner from the centre into several pointed 



