286 Massee. — A Monograph of the Geoglosseae . 
Elvella , Clavaria , Tremella , Peziza , Phallus , in part, of old authors. 
The present genus resembles Vihrissea in the somewhat fleshy 
pileus having the free, thick margin incurved towards the stem, but 
differs materially in the much shorter, narrowly elliptical spores which 
are arranged in a 2-seriate manner in the ascus. Saccardo has 
placed the present genus in the Bulgarieae on account of its sub- 
gelatinous consistency, but I consider its true affinity is with the 
present group. Leotia approaches very closely to Heloiium ; the 
latter differs in the firmer texture, and in the more or less distinctly 
parenchymatous cortex and excipulum. This line of demarcation 
places Leotia acicularis , Pers., in Helotium. 
Distr. — Of the five well-defined species, four are confined to Europe, 
and all are rare. The fifth, L. luhrica , has a wide range — Europe, 
Sikkim (8-9000 ft.), Tasmania, New Zealand, Victoria, and United 
States. The doubtful species, if verified, extend the range of the 
genus to Greenland on the one hand, and South Africa on the other. 
Key to the Species. 
I. Pileus more or less tinged green . 
atrovirens. Plant 1-2 cm. high, entirely dark green; 
stem minutely squamulose. 
lubriea. Plant 4-8 cm. high ; pileus yellowish-green to 
dark green ; stem not squamulose. 
II. Pileus not green . 
mareida. Plant 4-10 cm. high, every part dingy yellow ; 
stem long, slender, wavy. 
aquatica. Plant 1-2 cm. high, entirely whitish ; pileus 
becoming brownish. 
stagnalis. Plant 1-2 cm. high; pileus yellowish flesh-colour. 
Leotia atrovirens, Pers., Myc. Eur. 202, tab. ix, f. 1-3, 1823 ; 
Fries, Syst. Myc. ii, 30, 1823 ; Sacc., Syll. viii, n. 2512, 1889 ; Quelet , 
Enchirid. 267, 1886; Rehm, Kr.-Fl. n. 5881, 1896; Che., Mycogr. 
219, f. 368, 1879 (scales on stem too large). (PI. XIII, Figs. 81, 82.) 
