s. The hymenium by its corrugations forms depressions such as
are found in the human ear. One will not fail to recognize it after
seeing it once. It is not common in our woods, yet I have found it on
several occasions. It is found on almost any timber but most frequently
on the elm and elder. The plant in Figure 406 was found near
Chillicothe. Its distribution is general.

_Guepinia. Fr._

Gelatinous, inclining to cartilaginous, free, different on the two
sides, variable in form, substipitate. Hymenium confined to one side.

_Guepinia spathularia._

[Illustration: _Photo by C. G. Lloyd._

Figure 408.--Guepinia spathularia. Entire plant a light yellow.]

Yellow, cartilaginous, especially when dry, spathulate, expanded above,
hymenium slightly ribbed, contracted where it issues from a log.

It is quite common on beech and maple logs. I have seen beech logs,
somewhat decayed, quite yellow with this interesting plant.

_Hymenula. Fr._

Effused, very thin, maculaeform, agglutinate, between wavy or gelatinous.
_Berk._

_Hymenula punctiformis. B. & Br._

POINT-LIKE HYMENULA.

Dirty white, quite pallid, gelatinous, punctiform, slightly undulated;
consisting of erect simple threads; frequently there is a slight tinge
of yellow. The spores are very minute. It looked very much like an
undeveloped Peziza when I found it, in fact I thought it P. vulgaris
until I had submitted a specimen to Prof. Atkinson.

CHAPTER XII.

ASCOMYCETES--SPORE-SAC FUNGI.

Ascomycetes is from two Greek words: _ascos_, a sack; _mycetes_, a
fungus or mushroom. All the fungi which belong to this class develop
their spores in small membranous sacs. These asci are crowded together
side by side, and with them are slender empty asci called paraphyses.
The spores are inclosed in these sacs, usually eight in a sac. They are
called sporidia to separate them from the Basidiomycetes. These sacs
arise from a naked or inclosed stratum of fructifying cells, forming a
hymenium or nucleus.

FAMILY--HELVELLACEAE.

Hymenium at length more or less exposed, the substance soft. The genera
are distinguished from the earth-tongues by the cup-like forms of the
spore body, but especially by the character of the spore sacs which open
by a small lid, instead of spores. The following are some of the genera:

Morchella Pileus deeply folded and pitted.
Gyromitra Pileus covered with rounded and variously contorted folds.
Helvella