HYPOCREACE^ ZEYLANIC^. 99 



Sphaerostilbe variabilis B. & Br. 



Sphserostilbe variabilis was described by Berkeley and 

 Broome in Firngi of Ceylon, No. 1006, from Thwaites 645, as 

 " Efiusa, camca, quandoque tenuis, quandoque placentse- 

 formis ; peritheciis liberis collapsis vel eminentibus ; ascis 

 linearibus ; sporidiis ellipticis utrinque leviter apiculatis 

 uniseptatis. Accompanied by strap-shaped bodies of the 

 same colour, which occasionally bear a head of conidia ; 

 sporidia 12 '5-15 jj, long, 1'5 [i wide. Some of the specimens 

 resemble an Hypocrea ; but these have the same conidiiferous 

 processes." 



The same Thwaites number provided also Hypocrea corti- 

 cioides. 



The specimens in the cover of Sphserostilbe variabilis in 

 Herb. Kew are from Cooke's herbarium. One is mounted 

 on a sheet, and another is contained in an envelope, which is 

 marked corticioides . The remainder of Thwaites 645 is 

 included in the cover of Hypocrea corticioides, but the speci- 

 mens there contain both species. 



Sphasrostilbe variabilis, in its conidial stage, forms irre- 

 gularly pulvinate stromata, up to 10 x 5 mm. These are 

 white or pinkish, and tomentose, and bear numerous, erect, 

 stilboid processes. The stalks of these Stilbum conidiophores 

 are-up to ■ 75 mm. high, terete, • 2 mm. diameter, or flattened, 

 up to 0'4 mm. broad, pinkish-white; the head is ovoid, 

 globose or capitate, reddish orange. Sometimes the heads 

 of all the conidiophores on a stroma fuse into a confluent mass 

 of spores. The conidia are oblong-oval, hyaline, 3-6 X 1 '5 [j,. 



The perithecial stromata are in some cases fiat, effused, and 

 tomentose, and bear scattered semi-immersed perithecia. In 

 others they are pulvinate and densely covered with perithecia, 

 and the latter are sometimes immersed. The perithecia are 

 globose, conical above, 0*4 mm. diameter, with a broad 

 ostiolum, semi-translucent. The asci are cylindric, eight - 

 spored, scarcely pedicellate ; when immature the spores are 

 obliquely imiseriate, and the asci measure 75 X 5 ja, but 

 when mature the spores are uniseriate, and the asci 105-110 

 X 6 ji. The spores are narrow-oval, hyaline, sometimes 

 subapiculate, one-septate, strongly verrucose, 9-14 X' 5-6 ja. 



