Photographs and Descriptions of Cup-Fungi—XVIII. Rare Species of Godronia

Abstract

The genus Godronia was established by J. B. Mougeot in 1845 wTho characterized it as having apothecia which are coriaceous or gelatinous but with the spores of a Stictis. While typically the spores of the genus are nliform the limits have been somewhat extended to include those forms in which the spores are much elongated and fusiform. It is difficult to segregate arbitrarily on this basis. Hence a number of species have been included which might appear to belong elsewhere. The genus overlaps Scleroderris of the Phacidiales so that some of the species have been used interchangeably between the two and in fact it has been suggested by some mycologists that the genera are identical. During two collecting trips to Colorado among other collections the writer obtained two rare species of the genus Godronia. The first of these has been twice described as new first by Ellis and Everhart, later by the writer but is now found to be synonymous with an old European species, as brought out in the accompanying treatment. The second has been extensively known in this country in its conidial stage but does not seem to have been so commonly collected in its perfect form. For these reasons it is thought well to describe and illustrate the two species giving our present conception of their synonymy. Both have been found accompanied by their conidial stages which adds interest to the problem.