526 



*~ >: ~ Sporidia becoming brown (Melanconiella}, 

 M. acrocystis, (Pk.) 



Valsa acrocystis, Pk. 33d Rep. p. 34, pi. 2, figs. 19-22. 

 Melanconis biansata, E. & E. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, X, p. 118. 

 Melanconiella acrocystis, Sacc. Syll. 6628. 



Perithecia circinate, 6-12 together on the surface of the inner 

 bark, subglobose, J-J mm. diaui., enveloped in and covered above by 

 a yellowish-gray, interwoven, felt-like layer; often collapsing, their 

 short, round or subquadrate, obtuse, black ostiola erumpent in a 

 brownish disk bursting through the transversely fissured or subradi- 

 ately-cleft epidermis, which is slightly raised. Asci 190-200 x 25-30 (j. 1 

 stipitate, 8-spored. Sporidia oblong-elliptical, uniseptate, soon becom- 

 ing brown and with a short, hyaline, broad, subtruncate appendage at 

 each end, 35-50 x 15-11* p. (without the appendages). 



On dead limbs of birch, Plainfield, N. J. (Meschutt), on Betula 

 lenta, Greenbush, N. Y. (Peck). 



The felt-like covering of the perithecia was at first overlooked, 

 but in both the New Jersey and New York specc. this forms an im- 

 portant character. Valsa acrocystis, Pk., and Melanconis biansata. 

 E. & E., were published at about the same time. 



M. Mescliiittii, E. & E. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, X, p. 117. 



Diatrype nigrospora, Pk. 330! Rep. p. 35. 

 Melanconiella Meschuttii, Sacc. Syll. 6629. 



Perithecia 10-20, subglobose, J-J mm. cliam. (mostly less than J) ? 

 seated on the surface of the inner bark, in a thin, dark-colored, orbicu- 

 lar stroma 1J-2 mm. cliam. Ostiola rising together in a laterally' 

 compressed tuft, united in a dirty-brown or grayish disk erumpent 

 through short, transverse cracks in the epidermis, their tips subconical 

 and, in well developed specc., distinctly quadrisulcate. Asci p. sp. 

 about 75x12-15 /i, subsessile, obscurely paraphysate. Sporidia 

 biseriate, oblong-elliptical, very slightly curved, uniseptate and con- 

 stricted, subhyaline at first with a faint, horn-shaped, hyaline append- 

 age at each end, but these are soon absorbed and the sporidia become 

 brown, 14-16x6-H'>. 



On dead limbs of birch, Plainfield, N. J. (Meschutt). 



Gelatinosporium betulinum, Pk., occurs on the same branches. 

 Where the epidermis is thinner, the appearance of the stroma is dif- 

 ferent, it being more prominent with the epidermis sublaciniately cleft 

 around the erumpent disk. The perithecia sometimes collapse^so that 

 on stripping off the epidermis, their position is indicated by little 

 circular concavities around the margin of the stroma. Differs from 



