old age hard, coriaceous, often ligneous. In its earliest state, it is globular,
and completely closed by a membrane of a darker colour ; before
this is ruptured, the plant becomes cylindrical, and eventually campanulate.
Lenticular bodies attached to the side of the receptacle by a slender
flexuose cord, which is incrassated only at its origin. Sporules oval, minute,
within the lenticular bodies.
A very interesting and small genus of plants, of a highly
curious structure, and little understood; though, as appears
from the synonymes, they have been long noticed hy botanists.
In the early state, and until the rupture of the epiphragma, or
membrane which closes the orifice, the substance of the lenticular
bodies is carnose, and a dissection under the microscope is
confused and unsatisfactory. When mature, they are firm,
and rather hard exteriorly, and an examination readily shews
them to contain a great number of sporules, which doubtless
are nourished hy means of the little stem-like cord which attaches
the lenticular bodies to the side of the receptacle. This
cord is distinctly composed of filaments of a large size, compared
with those of the rest of the plant, possessing a wonderful
degree of elasticity, and having also a strong hygrométrie
property. I f examined in a moist state, the cord is capable of
being drawn out to a great extent, especially in Cyathus
striatus, where naturally it is not more than ^th of an inch in
length, but allows of an extension of 4 inches before it breaks.
In the species under consideration, there is a small cavity on
the under side of the lenticular body, which receives an incrassated
portion of the cord, differing in this respect from the
other known species.
L i n k has given a figure of a section of one of the lenticular
bodies of Cyathus olla, with the sporules, in the Berlin
Magazine, v. iii. t. 2. f. 53.
I ii! ;.'
Fig. 1 . Mature plants. Fig. 2 . Young ditto. Fig. S. Section o f a receptacle.
Fig. 4. A lenticular body, with its attachment. Fig. 5. Ditto, showing the
under side, and with a part o f its thick fibrous covering removed, to exhibit
the immediate covering o f the spontle.i. Figs. 6. & 7. Sections o f a lenticular
body, skewing the sporules. Fig, S. Filamenls o f the cord after having
been exiendcd above 3 inches.