62 



paraphyses. Sporidia subuniseriate, broadly ovate, very obtuse, straight 
black, unicellular, surrounded by a thick hyaline, layer of mucous ~ 
24 X 12-14 p. 
Nitschke Pyren. Germ. p. 8. Sacc. Syll. I. p. 334. Xylaria 
pedunculata Fr. X. pedunculata f. pusilla Tul. Sel. Fung. Carp. I. 
p.18 t. II. f. 1-38. Rabh. Exs. No. 6306. 
This is a very curious Xylaria. “The head seldom exceeds in size 
a lentil or smali pea. When growing on rabbit’s dung there is hardly 
any stem, the whole fungus consisting of a nodose, black, coriaceous — 
excrescence. If, however, the ground in the immediate vicinity of | 
the affected pellet be searched, the heads of other specimens will 
| probably be found, just projecting above the earth. On digging these 
| up it will be seen that each constitutes the terminal extremity of a 
| pretty long stem from 1-5 or 6 cm. (4 to 3 inches). “Ihe upper part 
: of the stem immediately below the ground level is densely hairy for 
| a variable distance, in some cases for 4 or 5 mm., in others for 
| 2or3cm. ‘The thickness of the stem varies from that of a mere 
thread as fine as horsehair to 2 or more mm. Sometimes it ends in 
| what may have been a sclerotium, in others it seems to be lost in the 
ground. ‘lhe globose head is surmounted by a sterile conical point. — 
Mr. Broome, who found this fungus near Bath and communicated it 
to Rabenhorsts’ Exsiccati (636), was of opinion that the base of the 
i buried stems originated from and in buried pellets of rabbit dung. It 
i occurs on heaths and is in fruit from October to February. 
i 
i Pl. 2, f. 13 three specimens of X. Tulasnei natural size, the heads 
i only were above ground, f. 14 three specimens on a pellet of rabbit's — 
dung natural size, f. 15 section of ascophore showing the barren apex, 
f. 16 ascus and paraphyses, f. 17 sporidia. 
SE 
319. Philocopra discospora Nov. sp. Peritheciasemi-immersed or free, 
elongate-conical, black, paler below. Ostiola surrounded by a crown of 
rigid, straight, black, simple sete. Upper part of the perithecia sparsely 
setulose, sete simple, black, short, sometimes curved. Perithecia 
400-500 X 250 pt, asci polysporous, cylindrico-fusiform, tapering at 
either end, sessile 130-150 x 18-20 pw, paraphyses as long as the asci, 
simple, hyaline, linear. Sporidia at first yellow, then dark brown, 
finally black, arranged without order in the asci, a little longer than 
wide, discoid 7-8 x 6-8 mu. 
On rabbit dung, North Wootton Heath, January, 1899. 
It differs from P. polyspora in the shape of the asci,—discoid sporidia 
and other points. 
Pl. 2, f. 23 perithecium, f. 24 ascus and paraphyses, f. 25 sporidia. 

