FUNGI. 
107 
tinuous, hyaline, smooth, elliptical, ends obtuse, 1 L-12 X 7 p ; 
paraphyses numerous, very slender, hyaline, 2 p thick, slightly or 
not at all thickened at the tips, which are sometimes bent. 
On dead branches. 
Peradenya, Ceylon (Thwaites). 
Type specimen examined. 
Peziza rutilans, Fr., and Peziza polytrichi, Schum. 
By G. Massee. 
Judging from an examination of specimens in the exsiccati of 
various authors, and from herbarium specimens, there appears to 
be a diversity of opinion as to the species to which the names 
forming the heading of this note wore respectively applied by the 
original authors. As in numerous similar instances, where the 
most constant and important characters depend on features revealed 
by the microscope, the brief descriptions furnished by early 
authors are not sufficient for certain identification, and modern 
descriptions of such supposed species do not help in any way to 
elucidate matters, as in many instances the external characters 
given in the original description apply to allied species having 
very different microscopic characters. As an illustration of this 
may be noted Cooke’s conception of Peziza polytrichi, Sch., as 
figured in “ Mycographia,” fig. 50, with smooth, globose spores 
11-13 [x diameter. This view of the species is adopted by 
Phillips, Brit. Disc., p. 87, and by Saccardo, Syll., vm., No. 423. 
On the other hand Roumeguere, Fung. Gall., No. 4045, Raben- 
horst, Herb. Myc., Ed. n., No. 310, and others, accept as Peziza 
polytrichi , Schum., a species having the spores elliptical, ends 
acute, 1-guttulate, minutely warted at maturity, 25-28 x 11.-12 p. 
Finally the species with elliptical spores last mentioned is accepted 
in Britain as Peziza rutilans, Fries. Other species are involved, 
as Peziza humosa, Fries, Peziza leucoloma, Hedw., etc. 
There is a specimen in the Kew Herbarium, sent by Fries to 
Berkeley, named “ Peziza rutilans, Fries,” and it is somewhat 
curious that this specimen did not influence Cooke in preparing 
his figure of this species for “ Mycographia.” This specimen I 
have accepted as the true P. rutilans, Fr., and, as the exsiccati 
quoted show, is also accepted by several authors. Book synonymy 
is not attempted, as in looking over various diagnoses the original 
description of the external aspect of the fungus is found tacked 
on to such dissimilar forms of spore that it appears to be sheer 
waste of time attempting to correct the mistakes of others, and in 
addition, probably adding one more misinterpretation to the list, 
