34 
Cooke and Mas see. — On a New 
kind, notwithstanding his placing it under Discomycetes, any 
more than he suspected Leptostroma. This is another un- 
fortunate illustration of the mistake of appropriating old 
genera, retaining the name, but amending the diagnosis. 
Ephelis Rhinanthi , of Phillips, therefore is not congeneric with 
the Ephelis mexicana (or typhina ), Fries, which has its place 
correctly assigned in Excipulaceae, a family of Sphaeropsideae. 
Recently Mr. J. H. Hart of Trinidad sent to the Kew 
Herbarium some specimens of P anictwi palmifolium^ strangely 
metamorphosed by a parasitic fungus, which, upon examina- 
tion, was found to agree entirely with the genus Ephelis of 
Fries, and indeed very nearly with the type species Ephelis 
mexicana. As in other cases of proven dimorphism, the 
stylosporous form and the ascigerous form have still been 
retained separately under their respective genera ; so in this 
case, although not autonomous, as will hereafter be seen, the 
Ephelis- form deserves a place beside the other species in that 
genus, under the name of — 
Ephelis trinitensis , Cooke & Massee. 
Stroma solido, nigro, efifuso, circumambiente, typhoideo ; 
receptaculis pezizoideis, erumpentibus, ellipticis, margine la- 
cerato, hymenio griseo, sporulis filiformibus continuis, rectis 
vel leniter curvulis, hyalinis (25-30 x i'5 ft) basidiis brevibus 
suffultis. 
On inflorescence of Panicnm palmifolium. 
Had no further specimens been collected, it would have 
been assumed that the above was the complete development 
of this curious fungus, but, fortunately, other specimens were 
secured afterwards on the same host, and upon the same 
estate, which carried the history forward much further. In- 
stead of the discoid, cup-like receptacles, exhibited by Ephelis , 
each of them was transformed, or was in the course of a 
transformation into a depressedly globose capitulum of 1 to 
ij mm. diameter, raised upon a peduncle two or three times 
that length ; the transformation being brought about by the 
replacing of the concave surface of the cups by a convex one 
