MITEULA. 481 



having continuous, hyaline spores, and absorbs into that 

 genus aU the species of Leptoglossum reputed to have con- 

 tinuous spores, leaving the residue, having septate spores, in 

 Leptoglossum. As a matter of iact, the spores are not 

 continuous at maturity in Mitrula, hence S iccardo's distinc- 

 tion between JUitrida and Leptoglossum falls to the gTOund, 

 and the two form a very natural genus, Jlitrula by priority ; 

 distinguished by the even, entirely adnale, globose, ovate, 

 or clavate receptacle ; spores narrowly elliptic-fusiform, 

 hyaline, septate or continuous, 1-2-seriate. 



Growing on the ground, among dead leaves, &c. 



Mitrula phalloides. Chev., Fl. Par., p. 114; Sacc, 

 .■SylL, viii. n. 92. (figs. 29, 30, p. ISS;. 



Ascophore '- stipitate, fragile, becoming hollow, form 

 variable, clavate, subglobose, or ovate, often compressed when 

 large, obtuse, yellow or orange-yellow, very smooth, entirely 

 adnate to the stem, but the lower margin sharp and distinct 

 and usually with two small notches on opposite sides i—l 

 cm. high, and often almost as broad ; stem 2— i cm. long, 2-4: 

 mm. thick, straight or wavy, smooth and with a silky sheen, 

 white or tinged with pink or yellow, silky-fibrous and white 

 inside like the ascophore, becoming hollow; hypotheciuiu 

 formed of interwoven, closely septate hyphae, these pass 

 into strings of sausage-like hyphae, deeply constricted at 

 the septa, S-11 /u. thick, loosely interwoven, and filling up 

 the central poi-tion at firet; asci narrowly cylindrical, apex 

 narrowed, base long and slender, S-spored ; spores obliquely 

 1-seriate, or imperfectly 2-seriate near the apex, hyaline, 

 smooth, elliptic fusiform, continuous or sometimes 1-septate 

 at maturity, 12-15 x o-b-i fi ; paraphyses septate, about 

 2 fjL thick, sometimes branched, very slightly thickened at 

 the tip. 



Claearia phalloides, Bull., Champ., t. 465, f. 3 (1789). 



Mitrula paludosa. Fries, Syst. Myc, i. p. 491 (1S21 ) ; Cooke, 

 Mycogr., fig. 175 ; Greville,' Scot.'Cr. FL, pi. 312 (excellent) ; 

 Phil., Brit. Disc, p. 28, pi. ii. lig. 6. 



On decaying leaves in damp places, aiXaong Sphagnum, &c. 



Usually'gregarious or even clustered, soft, quite glabrous 

 everywhere. When large, the head is very frequently 

 compressed, closely adnate with the stem, but its lower 



VOL. IV. 2 I 



