ASCOMYCETES 
187 
stem—is a rare species, parasitic on Elciphomyces granulatus. 
A New Zealand species, Cordyceps Robeytsii, popularly known 
as the “ Vegetable Caterpillar,” is a familiar museum object. 
The club varies from 4 to 8 inches in length. C. sinensis is 
sold in bundles as an article of food in the markets of 
China. 
Sub-order PYitENOMYCETES 
(See p. 14) 
Xylaria liypoxylon, “ Candle-snufi Fungus.” Plate 
XLVII. 4. 
Black and white at first, entirely black when old. 
Shaped like a Clavaria, 1-2 in. high, simple or branched, 
compressed, corky. Very common on old stumps, appear¬ 
ing for many successive years. X. polymovpha is a large, 
thick, simple, club-shaped species, not uncommon on old 
beech stumps. Gregarious. Whitish at first, then black. 
Hypoxylon concentricum. Plate XLVII. 10. 
A sc. subglobose, 1-1J in. diam., brownish at first, then 
black. Easily recognised by the concentrically-zoned flesh. 
Common on old ash-trunks. H, coccineum is equally common 
on beech. Asc. shape and size of a pea. Gregarious. 
Often confluent, brownish-red outside, black within. 
THE TRUE TRUFFLES (TUBERACEiE) 
These comprise a very distinctive family of the Pyreno- 
mycetes. 
There are purposely depicted together on Plate XVII. 
some truffles and false truffles, representatives of the 
Ascomycetes and Gasteromycetes, to show the remarkable 
superficial resemblances which are sometimes seen in families 
belonging to different Orders when living under similar 
conditions. 
All are more or less globose, more or less subterranean, 
