MOLLISIA. 209 



diameter, becoming smaller upwards, and running out at the 

 margin into yery short, obtuse, septate, parallel, pale bypbae ; 

 asci clavate, apex narrowed, pedicel short, stout 8-spored ; 

 spores hyaline, very narrowly fusiform, subcylindrical, or 

 ■with a tendency to become slightly clavate, irregularly 2- 

 seriate, straight, 6-10 x l"5-2 /*; paraphyses hyaline, 2 jj. 

 thick at the tip. 



Peziza atrata, Pers., Syn. Fung., p. 669. 



Mollisia atrata, vars. asjiaragi, oenanihes, and ulmariae, 

 Phil., Brit. Disc, p. 182. 



On dead stems of herbaceous plants ; asparagus, dropwort 

 {Oenantlie), willow-herb, evening primrose, ragwort, &o. 



Specimens examined in Moug. and Nestler, Stirp. Yog., 

 n. 1190. 



Distinguished from M. mercurialis in the glabrous ascophore, 

 and from M. cinerea in not growing on wood. 



Var. eupatoricola : Phil., Elv. Brit., exs., n. 179 (called 

 Peziza atrata, forma eupatoricola^ 



Spores straight or slightly curved, narrowly fusiform, 

 sometimes becoming 1-septate, 10-18 X 2 fx,; paraphyses 

 hyaline, rather stout, slightly thickened upwards ; remainder 

 as in typical form. 



On dead stems of Eupatorium cannahinum. 



Specimen examined in Phil., Elv. Brit., n. 179. 



Mollisia mercurialis. Sacc, Syll., viii. n. 1360 ; Kehm, 

 Krypt. Flora, Disc, p. 528. 



Ascophores scattered or gregarious, sessile, closed and 

 almost globose at first, then becoming saucer-shaped ; disc 

 greyish, margin erect, whitish, minutely fimbriate, externally 

 olive-brown or blackish, rough with minute raised points 

 consisting of outgrowths of the cortical cells ; ^|- mm. 

 across ; excipulum parenchymatous, cortical cells irregular, 

 polygonal and sooty-olive near the base, 7-8 /i diameter, 

 running out at the margin into free, septate, obtuse hyphae 

 of different lengths and forming the fimbriate margin ; asci 

 clavate, apex rather narrowed, base stout, obliquely truncate, 

 8-spored ; spores hyaline, continuous, very narrowly fusiform 

 cr subcylindrical, straight or slightly curved, 2-seriate, 

 7-10 X 1'6 /x; paraphyses slender, hyaline, 3 /j. thick at the 

 broadened tip. 



VOL. IV. P 



