Masses * — A Monograph of the Geoglosseae. 267 
Mitrula glabra, Karst., Myc. Fenn. i, 30, 1871. 
Microglossum atropurpureum , Karst, Rev. Mon. no, 1885; Sacc., 
Syll. viii, n. 130, 1889; Rehm, Kr.-Fl. n. 5867, 1896. 
Geoglossum Hookeri, Cooke, Hedw. 1875, 9; Cke., Mycogr. 10, 
f. 15, 1875. 
Microglossum Hookeri , Sacc., Syll. viii, n. 128, 1889. 
Exs.—Karsten , Fung. Fenn. n. 448. 
Hab . — On the ground among grass, &c. 
Distr . — Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, 
Russia. 
Stem fibrillose or squamulose, firm, paler, club sometimes terete, 
sometimes compressed or bifid, and, especially in late autumn, ven- 
tricose and deformed, distinct from the stem (Fries). 
Most authors hitherto have considered the fungus described above 
as being the species called Clavaria atropurpurea , Batsch (Elench. 
Fung. pp. 133 and 179, tab. xi, f. 47, 1783). There is a general 
superficial resemblance certainly to the single specimen figured by 
Batsch, and this resemblance has been accepted as sufficient evidence ; 
whereas, if the authors had taken the trouble to read Batsch’ s diagnosis 
of his species, they would have found that he says, ‘ substantia 
lignosa-suberosa, alba ’ ; a statement which does not at all agree with 
the structure of the fungus under consideration. Furthermore, 
Batsch cites Micheli , pi. Ixxxvi (obviously a slip for pi. lxxxvii), 
fig. 2, which represents Clavaria pistillaris. Finally, although 
Batsch’ s figure shows a purple tinge (in some copies), it is described 
as ‘ fulvo-atra.’ In all probability Batsch’ s figure represents some 
Clavaria near to, if not identical with, C. pistillaris. On the other 
hand, the fungus described above is certainly Geoglossum purpurascens , 
Pers. (Comm. Fung. Clav. 39, 1797), and the above diagnosis is 
drawn up from specimens thus named by Persoon himself, and now 
in the Kew Herbarium. 
The species called Geoglossum Hookeri, by Cooke, was founded on 
a single specimen without locality in the Hookerian Herbarium at 
Kew, and was described as being black, which is true of the dry state. 
The structure is identical with that of Mitrula purpurascens , which is 
also black when dry. Cooke was mistaken in describing his G. Hookeri 
as having two kinds of paraphyses; the presumed large ones being 
simply immature asci, which show clearly the apical pore blue when 
treated with iodine. 
