Omitted asci measurements of some British discomycetes

" IVoods, pastures, Oct., Sept. Pileus 39 diarn. stem ziin. long, ~ & n .thick." And what should this be called? It cannot be called Hygropkorus latitnbundus Britz., because that species is as imperfectly described as was H . ClarRii B. & Br., let us therefore call it number three. We have thus the following three species :I. Hygropkorus CZarkii B. & Br. 2. Hygropkorus C'ZarRii Massee. 3. Hygrophorus C'larkii W. G. Smith. Not t o mention4. Hygrophorus CZarRii Cooke Illustrations, pl. 934, fig. A, which is evidently not Hygrophorus Clarkii at all, but, possibly a variety of Hj~gropkorusunguinosus. What is Hygropkor~~s Clarkii Berk & Br.? And it appears to us, that, unless Worthington Smith's figures be accepted as evidence, we must conclude that " nobody knows," and hence it had better be ignored, as a species, and so-" close the book." NOTE.-Worthington G. Smith's grim satire on Modem Nomenclature as applied to Hymenomycetal Fungi is lately published under the title of '' Synopsis of British Basidiomycetes." It is to be regretted that an otherwise useful work should have to be sacrificed to that demon of humour which presided over Gulliver's Travels. Unfortunately there are students who will be accepting all the " emendations " as of serious intent. Names and authorities are getting so mixed that species will soon have to be known, like convicts, by their numbers. M. C. C.

OMITTED ASCl MEASUREMENTS OF SOME B R I T I S H DISCOMYCETES. B y C h a ~ l e sCrossZand, F.L.S. Many years ago, Mr. Massee strongly recommended me, when examining fungi of any description, to take careful notes and make sketches of all micro-features possible. This most excellent advice has been followed whenever opportunity and time have allowed ; thus a pile of information has accumulated, which, eventually, has enabled me t o add numerous details to the diagnoses of many incompletely described species. My attention in this direction has been given mostly to the Discomycetes,

a group of fungi full of fascinating interest, exceeded only, perhaps, by the kindred group--the Pyrenomycetes. When first I began to make notes and drawings, I established the practice of taking as full a description as lay in my power direct from the specimens themselves, apart altogether from any book information that might have been published respecting them; books were then referred to in the hope of fitting my fungus to some already-described species ; if unsuccessful, specimens were submitted to some acknowledged authority. In the determination of species, my principal care has been t o make certain, so far as possible, of the identity of the individuals dealt with ; this is not always an easy matter to do to your own satisfaction. When there has been room for reasonable doubt, the specimens, drawings and notes, have been laid on one side awaiting further light being thrown upon them. A few are there yet. T h e purpose of this paper is to give some of the results of my investigations on the fructifications of British Discomycetes bearing chiefly on the dimensions of the asci, and to supply numerous omissions of asci measurements in the published diagnoses of members in this group. All the figures were taken from living material, and many of them have been checked several times over. I t is only within recent years that measurements of asci have been systematically included in the diagnoses of ascomycetous fungi in this country. In 1897, Mr. Massee gave a valuable series in his " Monograph of the Geoglosseae " (Ann. Bot. xi., pp. 225306). They are also included in " Researches on Coprophilus Fungi " by Massee and Salmon (1.c. xv., pp. 314-357 ; xvi., pp. 57-93) ; in the descriptions of all New and Critical Discomycetes published from time to time, by the writer and others, in " The Naturalist" for many years back; in the Transactions of the British Mycological Society from the first issue onwards ; and in the Journal of Botany, and other British publications. Prof. Saccardo included all that were at his disposal during the compilation of his notable work-'' Sylloge Fungorum." Continental authors preceded us in this matter, and the Americans have long considered Discomycete diagnoses incomplete that did not include ascus measurements, and doubtless students universally are now of the same opinion. Notwithstanding this general decision t o include the length and thickness of the ascus in the description of a discomycete, there may be room to question whether these characters are of much real assistance in determining critical or closely allied species. Their comparative features are certainly of much less value than those possessed by the spores for the identification of species; yet, the characters of fungi generally are so few

that every ascertainable detail of their structure should be taken note of. They are but the hyaline sacs within which the spores are developed. In shape they range from globose, elliptical, or oblong footless bodies, to clavate, cylindric-clavate, and cylindrical structures with short or long pedicels. In the Discomycetes they are mostly pedicellate, but this begins to disappear in the lower members of the Ascobolaceae. On taking the dimensions of asci, it is found that what appears to be equally mature asci vary both in length and diameter within certain limits in the same pinch of hymenium. Thus it is necessary to give a maximum and minimum length and width, e.g. :-

Rkiaina infEata ................... 480-530 x I 2- 16p. Gyromitra esculenta ............ 450-480 x 14-16p. HeZveNa crispa .................. 290-3 I o x I 7-I gp. Sclerotinia tuberosa .............. I 90-200 x 9.-I o p . Hdotium virguZtorum ......... I 00- I 20 x 8-gp. ,, kerbarum ............. 70- 80 x 6-8p Dasyscypka virginea ............ 50- 6 0 x 5 - 6 . 5 ~ . MoNisia diZuteZa ............... 40- 44 x 6-7p. Dasyscypka acuum .............. 2 2 - 26 x 4-5p. and so on ; these approximate dimensions are the best we can hope to get. They vary to the greatest extent, both in length and stoutness, in the Ascobolaceae. This we might expect from their luxuriant method of growth. 'Take for example, AscoboZus immersus-280-360 x 80- I 2 0 p . : Rabh. Krypt. Flo. s a y s 4 0 0 x go-105 ; Ascopkanus carneus-240-280 x I 8-28p. : Rabh. Krypt. Flo. says-roo-200 x 20-30p. A case of Lacknea cnprinnria may be cited in which the length of the ascus appeared to detract from the width; in one specimen I found them I 80-200 x 24p ; in another 2 IS300 x 14-16p. There may be in some cases a certain amount of tension exercised on the ascus immediately prior to the expulsion of its spores ; on one occasion I had just measured an ascus of Bulgaria polymorpha, when it suddenly shot its spores and as suddenly contracted in . may also vary in length ; in a length from 2 2 0 ~ - 1 6 0 ~Pedicels specimen of AscoboZus Keruerai, the total length of one ascus was 190~-body 14014 pedicel 5 0 p ; in another measuring I s a p the body was 140p long and the pedicel only I O ~ . One may ask-when are we to know when an ascus has arrived at its mature length? According to my experience the arrangement of the spores in a continuous, single, double, or irregular series in the upper portion of this organ affords the safest evidence of the maturity of both. This does not, of course, apply to acicular spores which are often nearly as long as the ascus in which they are produced.

There has been a lack of uniformity in the methods of students in measuring asci. Occasionally authors have given the length of what they call the spore bearing portion. In many c a s s the spores, with the active protoplasm forming them, at first fill the whole of the ascus : when mature, they occupy varying lengths of the upper part depending upon whether they are Inore or less closely arranged. In Gjv-o~nitra esculenta, the mature spores take up only a little over one-third the space ; thus, while the ascus itself measures 450-480p from the base to the apex, the sporiferous part is 160-17op. Saccardo says 110-I~OIA, which is much less than I make it, and I have examined living fructifications of this species for fourteen successive seasons. It is not i ~ u c hmore definite to measure what is considered the body of the ascus, and exclude the pedicel ; in most cases, it is difficult to tell where the pedicel ends and the ascus body begins. Neither practice appears to me to be as satisfactory as taking the entire length, which has been my custom from the beginning. In clavate or cylindric-clavate asci the width within the walls a t the centre of the widest part has been taken as the diameter. On comparing my measurements with those in Rabh. Krypt. Flo., I find as a rule they run very close, while in many cases they are exactly similar. Occasionally, however, there is a startling difference in the dimensions between us, and that in species which cannot well be confused with others. Take the following. The first column is from Rabh. Krypt. Flo. :Geopy.ris coccinea 400-500 x I 5-I&. 370-400 x I 5- I 7p. Geoglossunz viscosum 88-1 lo x I ~ p . 240 x I 2- 14p. Otidea aurantia 250 x 10-1211. 190-200x I IP.

I must leave others interested to settle between the two. Variable as these structures are in the Discomycetes, they are more so in the Pyrenomycetes. The late Mr. F. Currey in the introduction to his work " O n fructifications of Sphzeria" (Linn. Soc. Trans. xxii.) remarks " T h e shape of the ascus varies so much, not only in the same species, but in the same specimen, that I do not think it a character to be relied upon " ; and I can support this view in many cases. Often, especially in certain pyrenos, a mature ascus will suddenIy begin to elongate and stretch to almost twice its former length, while under examination on the glass slip. This is preparatory to casting its spores ; after the elongation has taken place, a slight constriction appears below the middle marked by a dark line, the ascus then breaks in two in a circuinscissile manner and liberates its spores. There is nothing of this nature in the Discomycetes so far as my observations go. In Ascobolz~s,the asci elongate a little

when fully mature and carry up the spores above the surface of the disc which then appears studded with the dark, glistening tips of the protuding asci. The dehiscence of the asci varies a little in the different groups, from the well defined operculum in the genus Ascopkanus, to the semi-lid, and mere slit in the apex in other groups. Some shoot their spores very freely through a slit in the apex as in Helotium ; others, as in Orbilia cast them very tardily. It has long been known that the re-action set up in the ascus on the application of iodine varies in the different groups. In some families, the whole of the ascus is affected, in other the apex only, or a point in the centre of the apex. M. Boudieis classification in his recent European Discomycetes is based partly on this phenomena. But these, and a few other interesting points, are outside the purpose of this paper. In the appended table of measurements, I have omitted those published by Massee in his "Monograph of the Geoglosseae" and other papers, as they are practically the same as mine; in most cases the figures are precisely similar. The genera and species follow the classification adopted in the Yorkshire Fungus Flora. iMorchella escuzenta 300-3 50 x I 6-26p. Gyromitra esculenta 450-480 x 14-16p. HelveZla crispa 290-3 I o x I 7- I gp. ,, lacunosa 245-250 x I 5p. ,, elastica 3 10-330 x 17-1911. ,, macropus 340-370 x I 5-16p. Verpa digitazif ormis 290-320 x 19-2op. Rhizina inflnta 480-520 x 12-16p Acetabula vulgaris 260-290 x I 5- I7p. Geopyxis coccinen 370-400 x I 2-1 3p. cupularis 250-260 x I 2-1 3p. ,, albidn 200-220 x 9- I O ~ . ,, (" Nat." 1900, p. 7). Peziza reticztZata 400-450 x I 2-I@. ,, sepiatra 320-360 x I 5-16p. ,, recedens 300 x 18p ((( Nat." 1904, p. 4). ,, awtpdiata var. tectorza 2 30-270 X

,, ,,

,, ,,

13- I4p.

Pezizn succosa 3 ~ 3 4 x0 I 7p. Otidea Zepor ina I 40- I go x I op. ,, cochleata 240-280 x 10-1 ~ p . ,, alutacea 280 x I 2p. ,, aurantia 190-220 x I ~ p . ,, jibriZlosa 270 x I 2-1 3p. Curreyella trackycarpa

200-230 x 16-I 8p. Barlaea modesta 250-300 x 23-26p. (" Nat." I ~ O Ip. , 187). ,, Crouani 3 10-330 x 20p. ,, cinnabarina 280 x 21-2zp. ,, asteroidea 320-360 x 18p. Persoonii 200-2 10x I 3- 14p. ,, (rr Nat." 1900, p. 9). Humaria ruhens 260-200 x 161c. (" Nat." I 895, p. 27). ,, haemastigma I 80-200 x 20p. ,, globoso-pulvinata /

subrepanda 330-3 50 x I 8-zap.

Ad& 270-290x11-12p. C' Nat." I 908, p. 2 I 8). badia 300-340 x I 3-14p lividula 330-3 50 x I 2-14p.

,, ,, ,,

140-150 x 16-18p. (" Nat." 1908, pp. 214-2 I 5). Piggotii I 60-I 73 x I 2- I 3p. convexula 190-220 x 14-15p. carbbnigena I 50-1 70 x I 5p.

Humaria melaloma 190-220 x 10-12p. ,, macrocystis 220-240 x 12p. ,, Roounzegueri var. carnosissima 200-223 X 13-I4p. ,, granulata I 80-190 x I 3-15p. ,, subkirsuta 250-280 x I4p. deerrata I 90-2 I o x I 2- I 3p. ,, (" Nat." I 899, p. 3 I, f. 5). ,, Phillipsii 270-290 x I 5p. (" Nat." 1906, p. 9). violacea 250-290 x I ~ p . ,, ,, purpurascens 250-270 x gp. ,, jungermannia 240-280 x I 6-zap. ,, cervaria 160-180 x I 2- 14p. ,, ftmefi (= bo,vina) 260-280 x 12-14p. ,, Nickolsonii 65-70 x 8-gp. (" Nat." 1 p 1 , p. I 88, f. 19) Sepultaria semiimmersa 230-270 x 14-16p. ,, sumneriana 290-300 x I 8-zap. Lacknea contorta 300 x 14-I ~ p . ("Nat." I ~ O I ,p. 182, f. 8). ,, cinnabarina 2m-220 x 12p. crucipila 2 10-220 x I 7p. ,, ,, setosa 240-260 x 18-zap. ascoboloides 230-240 x I 7- I 81~. ,, ,, scutellata I 90-2 I o x I 6p. ,, umbrorum 260 x 20p. tkeleboloides 220-230 x I 2- 14p. ,, ,, rubra 215-230 x 15-16p. ,, fimbriata I 60-I 70 x I 2 p ,, gilvn 200-220 x I 2- I 4p. (" Nat." 1906, p. 8). ,, cretea 240-350 x Iop. A7eotieZLn polytricki (= P. rutilans) 2go-3 10x I 8-2op. ,, nivea 280-300 x 20pleucoloma 200-220 x 16-I 7p. ,, Spkarospora treckispora 320-350 x 18-22p. citrina 3 m x 35p. (" Nat." 1904, p. 4). Desmasierella acicola 400 x I I p. Diplocarpa Curreyalca 60 x 6p. (" Nat." 1901, p. 183). I )

Dasyscypka virginea 59-60 x 5-65p. ,, nivea 45-48 x 4-5p. ,, Soppitfii 65-75 x 5.-6p. ,, inpuilina 35-40 x 5p. ,, crucifers 40-45 x 5p. I, bimlor 50-55 x 6 . 5 ~ ,, lactior 50 x 6'5-7p. (" Nat." 1904, p. 5). , patula 55 x g'sp. ,, conformis 60-65 x 5p. ,, leuconica 50 x 6-6.5~. ascuna 40-45 x 8p. ,, acuum 22-26 x 5p. ,, aspidiicola 30-35 x 5p. ,, vitreola 60 x 7-8p. (" Nat." 1901, p. r 83). ,, Ayalina 56-65 x 7-8p. ,, fugiens 22-28 x 5-6p. calycina I 10-130 x 19-1IP. ,, ,, subtilissima 60-70 x 5p. canescens 70-75 x 7'5-8p. ,) palearum 60-63 x 5p. ,, fuscescens 50-55 xs-s'sp. I) pygmea 65-70 x 5'5-6p. ,, citricolor 80-90 x 10-1zp. (" Nat." 1901, p. 186). ,, spiraeaecola 50-60 x 5p. corticalis 70-80 x 8p. ,, Carmichaeli 40-44 x 7p. , Richonii 40-45 x 5-6p. (" Nat." 1901, p. 186). ,, demaficola 80-90 x 4-5p. ,, elapkines 32-35 x 5p. Erinella juncicola 60-70 x 8p. ,, Nylanderi 80-95 x 5.5-6p. Eckinela setulosa 80 x 8- I op. Tapesia f usca 60-70 x 7-8p. var. prunicola 80-rm x 8p. ,, casia 30-35 x 5p. Sclerotinia tuberosa I ~ Q - z oxo g- I op. sclerotiorum I 50-160 x 8-gp. ,, CandoNeana I 00- I I o x 6-711. ,, ,, Curreyana 75-85 x 5 . 5 ~ . Ciboria amentacea go- I oo x 8p. Cyatkicula coronata go- I I o x 8-gp. Helotium badium I I O- I 20 x I I - I 4p. ,, f errugineum p - I 10x g- I I p. ,, Centiculare go- IOO x 8-gp. I

I)

l)

)I

9

91 Ascophanus argenteus 40-50 x 20p. Helotium aureum 80-85 x 6-6'5~. serotinum 120-135 x ~ o p . ,, ockraceus I 40-150 x aop. ,, ,, mellezrm135-15ox12p. ,, carneus 230-280 x I 8-28p. ,, Hedwigii p-100 x 7p. var. cuniculi ,, Cutescens go- I oo x 8-gp. I 20- 190 x 20-3op. ,, uliginosum 75-80 x 7p. equinus I 80-220 x I 6- I 8p. virgultorum loo- 120 x 8-gp. ~ s c o b l ~ u( ~s p h o r i d i o b o ~ u s ) ,, Crosslandi I 70-200 x 25p. aciculare 90-1 10x I 3-14p. ,, ,, szrblenticulare (" Nat." 1899, p. 29, f. I I). 120-130x g-lap. ,, vinosus I 00- I 20 x 20p. ,, cyathoideum 50-60 x 5'5-6p. ,, glaber I 10-140x 28-3op. ,, Lcveilei 140-163 x 28-3op. ,, scutulum go- I oo x 8- I op. ,, herbnrum 70-80 x 6-81~. (" Nat." I 899, p. 29). ,, repandum 60-70 x 6-7p. minutus 140- 160x I 2-13p. ,, epiphyllum go- I 10 x 9- I op. (" Nat." rgoo, p. 8). ,, stictoideus I 50-rgo x 40-45p. ,, renisporum I 30-140 x 9-1 rp. ,, ,, f urfuraceus ,, fagjneum 80-90 x g-lop. ,, alnzellum 50-60 x 6-7p. r 80-220 x 22-28p. immersus 280-360 x 80- I 20p. ,, ,, gramineum 160-I 80 x I 2 ~ . Snccobolus granulispermus ,, lacteum 80-100 x 14p. 100-1 10x 35p. Gorgoniceps Guernisaci 270-280 x 6-5-7p. (“ Nat." 1899, p. 30, f. 16). Orbilia vinosa 50 x 5p. Belonium pilosum 78-80 x 8p. ,, auricolor 40-45 x 5-6p. Belonidium ventosum I 50 x 7p. ,, Zeucostigma 40-45 x 4-5p. ,, Clarkei go x 8p. rafirm 75-80 x 10-I ~ p . , pruinosum 90-100 x 12- I 3 ~ Agyritlm . ,, Zacztstre 80-90 x I 2- I 3p. Coryyne sarcoides 140-I 5 0 x 10-I 2p. ,, apuatica 57-60 x 6p. Mollisia f zrsca 45-50 x 6-7p. ("Nat." 1904, p. 6). ,, mercurialis 40-50 x 7p. Bulgaria polymorpha I 70- I go x 8-gp. ,, effugiens 35-40 x 5-5'5p. Ccnangium f urfuraceum ,, dilutella 40-44 x 6-7p. I 20 x 67p. ,, nervicola 40-50 x 5p. ,, pulveraceum 55-65 x 5-6p. (" Nat." 1901, p. 180). betulicola 50-60 x g- I O ~ . ,, dryinum 1 2 5 - I ~ O X 16-17~. ,, ,, sarothamni 50-55 x 6-7p. (" Nat." 1901, p. I 8 I). ,, juncina 40-45 x 5-6p. (" Nat." 1901, p. I 79). Scleroderris rubi 80-85 x 18-zop. ,, stramineum 40 x 4 . 5 ~ . fallax 100- I 20 x gp. livida 96- 100x 16-I 8p. ,, ,, pteridina 3 5-45 x 5-6p. Patellea pallida 80 x I o- I 2p. ,, (INat." 1899, p. 3 I , f. 19). Karschia lignyota 38-44 x 10-12p. ,, hypnorum 80-90 x 7-8p. Durella meZanochlora 60-90 x 8- I 2p. Pseudopeziza rubi 5 0 x 6p. (" Nat." 1904, p. 6). Ryparobizrs sexdecimsporzrs Aremacyclus niveus 90-IOO x 10-I 2p. r 10-125 x 20-2q.p. 7'rockila cmterium 65-70 x gp. ,, Leveilleanus I 20 x 25-28p. 13