THE GENUS PSEUDOPLECTANIA 
F. J. Seaver 
(With Plates 109 and iio) 
The genus Pseudoplectania was founded by Fuckel and orig- 
inally included the two species, P. nigrella and P. fulgens. The 
latter species was later removed from the genus by Saccardo and 
made the type of a new genus Otidella. Two additional species, 
P. melania and P. stygia, were, however, added to the genus at 
this time. One of these, P. stygia, is probably a synonym of the 
older species, P. nigrella. If we retain P. fidgens in the genus, it 
then contains three valid species all of which are known from 
North America. The following is a synopsis of our present knowl- 
edge of the genus in North America. 
Pseudoplectania Fuckel, Symb. Myc. 324. 1869 
Caloscypha Boud. Bull. Soc. Myc. Fr. i : 103. 1885. 
Otidella Sacc. Syll. Fung. 8: 99. 1889. 
Melascypha Boud. Hist. Class. Discom. Eu. 56. 1907. 
Plants gregarious or scattered, sessile or stipitate, large, fleshy, 
externally clothed with short, slender, flexuous and often coiled 
or twisted hairs, sometimes giving to the exterior of the cup a 
tomentose appearance ; asci cylindric-clavate, 8-spored ; spores 
perfectly globose, smooth, hyaline ; paraphyses straight or curved. 
Type species, Peziza nigrella Pers. 
Key to the Species 
Plants entirely black or brownish black. 
Plants long-stipitate, sparingly clothed with straight or 
slightly flexuous hairs. P. vogesiaca. 
Plants short-stipitate or sessile and densely clothed with 
coiled hairs. P. nigrella. 
Plants orange or occasionally with a greenish tint about the 
outer margin. P. fulgens. 
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