6 



Cross land : New and Critical British Fungi. 



cent, solution of formaline the cut surface of both pileus and 

 stem turns brig'ht blue, as do also the hardened drops of milk 

 which have exuded from fractures in the gills. The hymenium 

 is sprinkled with cystidia, the contents of which are densely 

 granular. The cystidia stand 25-30 /x above the apices of the 

 basidia, and descend into the subhymenial layer, where a septum 

 cuts off the portion with the granular contents ; below the 

 septum the cystidia-bearing hyphae are free from granules. 

 Belonium pilosum sp. nov. 



Apothecia sessilia, scutellata, aquosa, extus margineque 

 papillosa-pilosa, subiculum nullum ; spora; cylindrico-fusiformae 

 hyalinae glabrae, 3-septatse. 



Apothecia sparsa, gregaria, vel casspitosa aggregata et 

 difformia, sessilia, e subglobosa explanata, margine elevato, 

 albida, papilloso-fimbriata, 1-1*5 rarius 2 mm. lata, extus mar- 

 gineque piloso-papillosa, supra argenteo-cinerea, basi fuscescens, 

 pili clavati, 1-2-septati, 25-30 x 8-10 ^ pallide brunnei, apice 

 hyalini, disco laete cinerea vel atro-cinerea ; hypothecium e fila- 

 mentis tenuis contextum e basi ad marginem radiantes, exci- 

 pulum cellulis sub-globosis, 7-9 \x diam. ; asci cylindraceo-clavati, 

 apice attenuati, rotundati, incrassati, iodo tincti, octospori, 

 70-80 x 8 }i ; spora? supra distichae, infra monostichae, hyalinae, 

 fusiformae vel cylindraceo-fusiformae, rectae vel leniter curvulas, 

 3-septatEe, 18-24 x 2-5 [x ; paraphyses cylindracea% 3*3-5 crassae. 



Hab. — On one year old stems and leaves of Carex pendula. 

 Elland, near Halifax, May 1899. 



The ascophores are attached to the matrix by about one-fifth 

 their diameter. In well-grown specimens the margin is some- 

 times undulate. The spreading of the white, marginal, short, 

 clavate hairs is very fine ; these clavate hairs are continued in 

 a scattered manner for some distance down the side of the 

 ascophore. When dry the ascophores are firm, hard, and dark 

 grey, and the margin curves inwards. The spores, when first 

 formed, fill the ascus ; later, the ascus enlarges a little, and the 

 eight spores gather almost into a fascicle near its apex imme- 

 diately prior to being shot forth ; the force of the expulsion in 

 water carries them, en masse, about the length of the ascus. 

 The asci contract a little after expelling the spores. The spores 

 at first contain 6-10 globules, later the contents become homo- 

 geneous, and finally separate into four portions ; they contract 

 a little on being treated with iodine, but the three septa become 

 more apparent. The apical plug of the ascus at the same time 

 is faintly tinged blue. 



Naturalist. 



