335 
5 ”7 o.sr 
0 H 
Wb. 10, 
THE ASCOMYCETES OF OHIO IV 
The paraphyses are commonly distinct in young apothecia, but in 
mature apothecia they are usually more or less gelatinized and coherent. 
In some of the species, they become so gelatinized that they form a 
homogeneous mass about the asci, in which the individual paraphyses are 
no longer discernible. When distinct, the paraphyses are sometimes 
branched, most commonly toward their apices (Fig. 1 and 12). 
There is great diversity with respect to spore development, the whole 
range of spore structure, from minute, simple, hyaline spores to those 
which are large, brown, and muriform being found within the family 
(Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 13). This condition makes it appear quite 
possible that the family may be polygenetic. 
The genus, Biatorella, contains non-lichen forms and is probably as a 
whole more closely related to the Patellariaceae than to the Lecidiaceae. 
However, our two species, both of which are lichens, are herein admitted 
to the latter family. Through one or more species with larger spores 
than are usually found in this genus, Biatorella approaches Lecidea. 
Starting with Lecidea, we have a natural series in spore development with 
intermediate conditions difficult to place The series runs thus: Lecidea 
with simple hyaline spores (Fig. 3); Biatorina with two-celled, hyaline 
spores (Fig. 4); Bilimbia with several-celled, hyaline spores, not much 
narrowed (Fig. 5); ^xvA Bacidia with several-celled, hyaline, acicular spores 
(Fig. 6). Buellia and Rhizocarpon are aberrant genera, brown-spored, and 
closely related among themselves (Figs. 8, 9, and 13). Through Buellia, 
the two genera are related to Rinodina of the Physciaceae. The two aber¬ 
rant genera are like other members of the Lecideaceae with respect to thallus 
development and general apothecial characters, the aberrancy being with 
respect to the spores, on which account the two genera are placed in an¬ 
other family, the Buelliaceae, by some workers, perhaps with sufficient reason. 
The algal host is Pleurococcus-\\]^e (Fig. 2, c) in nearly all species of 
the Lecideaceae; but the host cells are so hypertrophied and distorted that 
their generic rank is often difficult to ascertain, except by cultivation out¬ 
side of the lichen thallus. The algal-host cells are few in number in some 
of the species and are sometimes absent during a portion of the life history 
of the lichen. The host is usually found throughout the superficial portions 
of the thallus, except near the upper surface, from which portion the algae 
are usually absent, except in a dead or dying condition, difficult to detect. 
The writer has collected the Lecideaceae, with other fungi, in Butler 
County for fifteen years, and has worked for the Ohio Biological Survey in 
Preble, Warren, Highland, Fairfield, Adams, Hocking, and Lake counties. 
Besides these collections made by the writer, a few specimens were examined 
from Champaign, Hamilton, Wayne, Morgan, Madison, Muskingum, Frank¬ 
lin, Vinton, and Summit counties. Of the 37 species treated in this paper, 
24 had not been reported from Ohio previously. 
