528 



porthe sulphured, Fckl., which differs only in its somewhat larger 

 s))oridi:i ' As regards the color of the sporidia of M. ckrysostroma, 

 Tulasnr calls them yellow or yellowish-green ("flavi< aut luteo-viren- 

 tibus"). 



M. apoerypta, Ell. Am. Nat. Feb., 1883, p. 194. (Plate 35) 



Perithecia subcircinate, J mm. diam.,membranaceous, 8-12 buried 

 in the inner bark, without any distinct stronia, entirely concealed lr\ 

 the epidermis, which, without being ruptured, is raised into slight, 

 whitish pustules by the pressure of the short, fasciculate ostiola. Spo- 

 ridia elliptical. Co-30 x 1 1-13 //, at first surrounded with a hyaline, 

 gelatinous envelope, and more or less perfectly biseriate in asci 114 x 

 22 /JL, but at length becoming brown, uniseptate and uniseriate, in elon- 

 gated asci 120-150x12 p. 



On dead poplar branches, Decorah. Iowa (Holway). 



Tlie conidial stage is probably Melanconium populinvm, Pk. 

 This is closely allied to M. occulta, (Fckl.), but differs in its smaller, 

 brown sporidia. 



M. Decoraensis, Ell. in Am. Nat. Feb. 1883, p. 195. 



Melanconiella Decoraensis, Sacc. Syll. 6123. 

 ' Exsicc. EH. & Evrht. N. A. F. 2d Ser. 1562. 



Perithecia 8-20 in a stronia, angular from pressure, coriaceous, 

 black, circinate, \ mm. diam., subdecumbent, with stout, converging 

 necks, and small, black, obtuse ostiola erumpent in a light-colored, 

 elliptical disk bursting through transverse cracks in the epidermis but 

 scarcely rising above it. Asci cylindrical, briefly stipitate, obscurely 

 paraphysate, p. sp. 95-115 x 10-12 fi. Sporidia uniseriate, elliptical, 

 obtuse, uniseptate and constricted, becoming brown, 12-20 (mostly 

 14-16) x 8-10 p.. The accompanying Melanconium, has spores (conidia) 

 rather shorter and broader than the sporidia. 



On dead limbs of birch, Decorah, Iowa (Holway), 



Yar. major, E. & E. Journ. Mycol. Ill, p. 42, on dead birch 



limbs, Plainfield, N. J. (Meschutt), has the sporidia larger (18-26 



x 8-9 fji). hut does not differ otherwise from the original specimens 



from Iowa. When well matured, the ostiola in both are distinctlv 



*/ 



quadrisulcate. Yar. subviridis, Pk. 40th Rep. p. 70, on dead bark of 

 Betula pop til I folia, Ganesvoort, N. Y., has both the disk and the 

 stronia yellowish-green and pulverulent. 



We have not been able to detect any appendages on the sporidia 

 at any stage of growth. Otherwise this could hardly be separated from 

 M. spodicea, Tul. The perithecia are so slightly sunk in the unal- 

 tered substance of the inner bark as to be partially visible th.rou.irh the 

 thin layer that covers them. 



