INTRODUCTION. 



The purpose of this work has been to prepare a descriptive 

 catalog of the discomycetes of this region which would be help- 

 ful to students in the study of Discomycetes in Ohio, and to 

 contribute to the distribution of the Discomycetes in the state. 

 Comparatively little systematic work has been done on this 

 group, and none has been done in Ohio except that of A. P. 

 Morgan. Many of the plants are very minute and seldom or 

 never seen by those uninterested. The group is, however, of 

 much biological interest and perhaps would receive much more 

 attention from students of botany if there were more literature 

 to be had. 



The time of collecting has extended over a period of two 

 years, 1907 and 1908. Collections have been made by several 

 persons to whom credit has been given with the dates of collec- 

 tion. All of the plants described were found within five miles 

 of Oxford, Ohio. It is very probable that quite a number of the 

 Discomycetes of the region have been overlooked, though no 

 pains were spared in the two years to get as many as possible. 



In each species the characteristics of the plants in the fresh 

 condition were noted. In many the apothecia appear to change 

 but little, if any, in drying, and when water is applied have the 

 same appearance as when growing. Others when dry lose both 

 color and form permanently. 



Most of those in the family Ascobolaceae were grown in 

 the laboratory on old dung. This was brought from several 

 pastures and placed in moist chambers. Only on that which was 

 exposed to the sunlight and in a temperature of about 20 1 ir 

 23 C. were many apothecia obtained. Some of the plants seem 

 to grow equally well on the damp blotting paper which lined 

 the dishes. 



The classification used is largely that in Engler-Prantl's 

 Xaturlichen Pflanzenfamilien. In working out the type species 

 of the genera, the rules adopted by the botanical congress which 

 met in Philadelphia, March. 1007. were observed. Whether this 



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