Bombardia arachnoidea (Niessl) Cain 1934

Pleurage arachnoidea (Niessl) D. Griff. Mem. Torrey
Club 11: 73. 1901.
Podospora arachnoidea Niessl ; Krieger, Fungi Sax. 371. 1888. Sordaria arachnoidea Sacc. & Syd. in Sacc. Syll. Fung. 14 : 492. 1899.
Perithecia scattered, partially sunken or superficial and imbedded in a dense growth of mycelium, about 375 X 525 z^, membranaceous to slightly coriaceous, dark-brown to black and opaque, densely covered with long, septate, brown hairs on all exposed portions, pyriform with a bare, black, papilliform curved beak ; asci 8-spored, cylindric, rounded above and tapering below into a long, slender stipe, 18-21 X 180-250 /^ ; apex of ascus containing a large, shining, highly refractory granule which becomes visible before the spores ; paraphyses filiform, septate, slightly constricted, longer than the asci ; spores l-seriate, irregular and variable in outline, generally ellipsoid to ovoid, 6-11X17-21^, ranging from hyaline when young through olivaceous to dark-brown and opaque ; primary appendage very long, curved and overlapping the spore below, this as well as the apex of the spore tipped with rather short, gelatinous, lash-like, secondary appendages.
On cow dung.
Type locality : Germany.
Distribution : New York to New Jersey ; also in Europe.