ï I
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ly reddish, much compressed, more or less o f an erect, obovate form,
slightly inflated, undulated, or even lacunose, and sometimes bifid, or
inclining to be lobed. I t is generally placed in some degree obliquely
on the stipes, with its base attenuated and decurrent down the sides o f
the stipes ; in other words, th e stipes appears to pass along and eventually
penetrate the pileus, half-way or m ore towards th e sum m it T h e
pileus is hollow ; and the hymenium which covers its surface, discharges
th e sporules from their cells in the same elastic manner as th a t o f Hel.
vella and Peziza.
Spathularia is separated from the genus Geoglossum,
chiefly on account of the difference in the form of the clavula
or pileus. Besides this, it must be confessed there is so great a
discrepancy in habit and substance, that the latter circumstance
alone is sufficient to convince any one of the propriety of keeping
them distinct.
I have seen so many varieties of this plant, that I fully accord
with Fries in regarding S. rufa as a variety only, and a
variety indeed not so well marked as to demand being established
under any particular name, for every intermediate state may
be frequently observed.
W i t h e r i n g has our plant still as Clavaria Spathula;
tbe name by which it was introduced by D i c k s o n t o o ih
Flora, who adopted it from the Flora Danica. Helvella clavata
of D i c k s o n and of W i t h e r i n g , doubtfully referred by
some authors to Spathularia, unquestionably belong to Leotia
lubrica, already figured in this work.
F ig. 1. Plants o f different ages, nat. size. Fig. 2. A plant dissected. Fig. S.
Thecae, or cells o f the sporidia; the latter could not be detected in the present
specimens.