Seaver: North American Species of Ascodesmis 3 
Ascodesmis microscopica (Crouan) 
Ascobolus microscopiciis Crouan, Ann. Sci. Nat. IV. 7 ; 175. 1857. 
? Ascobolus canimts Fuckel, Hedwigia 5: 3- 1866. 
Ascodesmis nigricans Van Tiegh. Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 23: 275. 
1876. 
Boudiera microscopica Cooke, Grevillea 6: 76. 1877- 
?Boudiera canina Schrot. Krypt.-Fl. Schles. 3":55- iS93- 
Boudiera Claussenii P. Henn. Hedwigia 42 : (182). 1903- 
? Ascodesmis retictilata Bainier, Bull. Soc. Myc. Fr. 23 : 137. 1907- 
Apothecia minute, less than i mm. in diameter, scattered or 
thickly gregarious, superficial, consisting of a tuft of asci and 
very stout paraphyses, at first entirely white, becoming dotted 
over with black specks, the ends of the asci filled with colored 
spores, finally becoming entirely black ; excipulum almost wanting 
or consisting of loose mycelium similar to the paraphyses ; asci 
broad-clavate to ovoid, reaching a length of 80 /x and a diameter 
of 30 /X, 8-spored; spores 2-seriate or irregularly crowded together, 
perfectly globose, becoming pale-brown and reticulated, reaching 
a diameter of 10-12 ;tx; reticulations net-like, the meshes reaching 
a diameter of 3/x, the ridges of the reticulations thin and project- 
ing about the periphery of the spore as minute spines ; paraphyses 
hyaline, stout, scarcely enlarged above, reaching a diameter of 
5-6 /X. 
On excrement of dogs and tigers, less frequently on the excre- 
ment of other animals. 
’Type locality : Europe. 
Distribution : New York ; also in Europe. 
Illustrations: Ann. Sci. Nat. IV. 7: pi. 4, f. 20-2^; Zukal, 
Mycol. Unters. pi. 2, f. 5-10; Hedwigia 42 : (182), /. 1-3. 
Ascodesmis porcina Seaver, sp. nov. 
Apothecia very small, scarcely visible, scattered or thickly gre- 
garious, at first subglobose, expanding and becoming subdiscoid, 
externally whitish or pallid, not exceeding 0.5 mm. in diameter ; 
hymenium strongly convex, becoming dark, finally almost black 
by reason of the dark colored spores; excipulum almost wanting; 
asci broad clavate to ovoid, abruptly narrowed into a short stem- 
like base, reaching a length of 75-90 /x and a diameter of 25-35 fi ; 
spores 2-seriate or very irregularly bunched near the end of the 
ascus, subglobose, at first hyaline and smooth, becoming pale- 
