Classification of Ohio Ascomycetes 
19 
higher rank than is given to the order. In any event there seems to be 
no good place to interpolate the Laboulbeniales among the other orders, 
and first place appears to accord better with present knowledge than the 
place at the end of the ascomycete series to which the order has been 
assigned more commonly. In placing the order first, one could not afford 
to commit himself to the belief that the Laboulbeniales are nearer to 
the Rhodophyceae than are the Pezizales and the Lecanorales, which in 
turn are probably more plainly related to the orders that follow in the 
outline. The two orders just named are placed second and third in 
the series on the theory, based on carpologic development and structure, 
that they, too, are closely related to the Rhodophyceae. The Lecanorales 
have been kept in one large group rather than split up into two or more 
orders, partly on account of their close relationship among themselves 
and partly because further study may result in a more or less radical 
rearrangement, which is likely to involve the Pezizales as well. For 
instance, the Collemaceae, the Gyalectaceae, and the Lecanactidaceae seem 
to be, partly in light of studies reviewed above, nearer to some of the 
Pezizales than we are able to indicate in our scheme of classification.. 
Some students of ascomycetes favor separating the inoperculate mem¬ 
bers of the Helvellales from those that are operculate. If this be done, 
the group may well be distributed among the Pezizales. The order 
Helvellales has been retained for the present and is placed near the 
Pezizales, to which it seems to be closely related. The Tuberales, which 
have been variously treated by students, seem to be near relatives of both 
the Pezizales and the Helvellales, the peridium being probably a reaction 
to subterranean position of the ascocarp. Interpolation of the Lecan¬ 
orales prevents placing the Helvellales and the Tuberales in succession 
immediately after the Pezizales, but this is only one of the many un¬ 
avoidable difficulties met in efforts to formulate schemes of classification 
which will bring together forms that seem to be closely related. Proper 
sequence of the families of the Pezizales depends on whether the simpler 
archicarps are primitive or degenerate, a point not fully determined. 
Consequently, the families are arranged in an order which leads up to 
the Lecanorales, which are placed next above. This arrangement shows 
the relationship between the two orders by passing from strictly non- 
algicolous to partially algicolous families of the Pezizales, thence to the 
algicolous Lecanorales. Of course this method must eventually give 
way, if need be, to better knowledge of the reproductive areas and related 
development. Since the Lecanorales in general show great similarity in 
sexual reproductive areas, the sequence of families is based on apothecial 
