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LEOCARPI3S VERNICOSÜS.
Varnished Leocarpus.
C l a s s a n d O r d e r CRYPTOGAMIA FUNGI, L m » — N a t . O r d . GASTROMYCI,
Link, Grev.
Columella
Colu-
G EN EBIC CHARACTER.
Sporangium subglobosum aut difforme. Peridium simplex, rumpens
nulla. Sporulæ floecis inspersoe.
Sporangium subglobose or irregular. Peridium single, dehiscent,
mella 0. Sporules intermixed with filaments.
S PE C IF IC CHARACTER.
L e o c a r p u s vernicosus ; obovatus, nitidus, spadiceus, peridio fragili, stipite pallida
basi membrana dilatato; sporulis massa nigra coacervahs.
L. obovate, shining, chesnut colour, the peridium fragile; stipes pale, dilated
at the base into a membrane; sporules forming a black mass.
L e o c a r p u s v e rn ic o s u s . Link, in Berl. Mag. v. 3. p . 25.—Nees, Syst. Myeol.
t. 9. f. 110 Grev. Fl. Edin. p. 453.
D id e b m a v em ic o s um , Pers. Obs. Myeol. 1. p . 89- t. 3. f. 7— Ejusd. Syn.
Fung. p. 165.—Albert, et Sehwein. p. 89.—Hook. Fl. Scot. 2. p. 12.
L y c o p e r d o n fragile, Dick. Fasc. t. 3. f. 5 .-W ith . Bot. Arr. ed. 6. v. 4. p. 458.
—Sow. Fung. t. 136.—Purt. Midi. Fl. v. 3. p. 2 7 3 .
H ab. On culms and leaves of grasses, the larger mosses, dead leaves, sticks,
&c. Not unfrequent in the autumn.
Plants densely clustered, of a fine chesnut-brown, and so shining as to appear
highly varnished. Sporangium near 2 lines high, obovate, pulpy
when young, sometimes nearly sessile, but mostly furnished with a whitish
stipes, which becomes expanded at its base into a smaU membrane.
Peridium very smooth, extremely brittle, when broken exhibiting traces
of an inner membrane, of a bright yellow colour : this seems rather to be
the inner coat of the peridium, which is considerably thicker than in
other plants of a similar structure. Sporules globose, very black, intermixed
with filaments, the whole forming a compact roundish mass.
VOL. II.
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