Some Species of the Genus Scutellinia

Abstract

In the past it has been customary to treat all, or nearly all, of the small, operculate discomycetes with conspicuous hairs as members of a single large genus under the name Lachnea (Gillet 1879, Saccardo 1889, Phillips 1887, Massee 1895, Rehm 1896, Svrrcek 1948) or Patella (Morgan 1902, Seaver 1928). More recently some authors (Le Gal 1953, Kanouse 1958), feeling the need to recognize the diversity that exists within the group, have turned to the re-examination of the generic concepts suggested by the brilliant work of Boudier (1885). The present paper is a contribution to the latter trend. It attempts to establish the validity of the genus Scutellinia (Cke.) Lambotte (Ciliaria Boudier 1885) and designate its limits. Although a number of species are described, including those most commonly collected in eastern North America, this paper does not constitute a comprehensive monograph even of those species occurring in North America. The writer wishes to thank the following individuals and their respective institutions for their cooperation in loaning specimens or providing information about specimens in their collections: Dr. Donald P. Rogers and Dr. Clark T. Rogerson, New York Botanical Garden; Miss