470 



Of the following species apparently referable to Valsa: 



Sphceria pugilist*. Schw. Syn. N. Am. 1322 (sec. Stevenson) is 

 a Sphceronema. 



Sphceria frustum-coni, Schw. Syn. N. Am. 1329. The spec, of 

 this in Herb. Schw. is some spermogonial form. 



Sphceria radicum, Schw. Syn. N. Am. 1335. Specimen abortive 

 or sterile. 



Sphceria oligostoma, Schw. Syn. N. Am. 1333. The specimens 

 in Herb. Schw. are barren. 



** Mesosporce. Sporidia 8-12 p. long. 

 V. rufescens, (Schw.) 



Sphceria rufescens, Schw. in Herb Schw. (and Schw. Syn. N. Am. 1395) ? 

 Valsa rhuiphila, C. & E. Grev. VII, p. 9. 

 Exsicc. Ell. N. A. F. 872. 



Perithecia lying in subcircinate clusters of 15-30 in the inner 

 Iark, which is but slightly altered, only assuming a reddish-brown 

 color which is of a more dirty shade directly over the pustules; these 

 are orbicular, and about 2 mm. cliam., convex, with the compact tuft 

 of ostiola rising like a disk or crown through the apex, and erumpent 

 through the epidermis, but scarcely exserted. Perithecia crowded, 

 about \ mm. diam., or less. Ostiola short-cylindrical, obtuse, becoming 

 subumbilicate. Asci 25-35 x 6-7 p., 8-spored, Sporidia biseriate. 

 allantoid, hyaline, slightly curved, 6-7 x 1 J-l| p. (10 p. long. Cke.). 



On dead branches oiRhus glabra, Carolina, Pennsylvania (Schw.), 

 and on R. copallina and It. venenata, Newfield, N. J. 



This is probably the Spkceria rufescens, Schw. Syn. N. Am. 

 1395, but we have never seen the ostiola as there stated "very long, 

 decumbent, flexuous and diverging." This character applies sometimes 

 to Sphceria aculeans, Schw. No. 1399. Apparently the descriptions 

 of these two species have been in some way confused. The species- 

 here described is certainly the Sphceria rufescens, Schw. in Herb, 

 Schw. 



V, Liiidera, Pk. 29th. Rep. p. 59, 



Pustules small, rather prominent, crowded or scattered, closely 

 surrounded by the ruptured epidermis, circumscribed by a black line, 

 Perithecia usually 4-6, nestling in the inner bark. Ostiola crowded, 

 short, dull black, obliterating the blackish disk. Asci slender-clavate, 

 Sporidia 8 in an ascus, yellowish in the mass, cylindrical, curved, 

 obtuse. 8-12 p long. 



On dead branches of Lin d 'era Benzoin, Albany, N. Y. 



