HYPOCRELLA AND ASCHERSONIA. 181 



is inflated in the middle, as figured by Montagne. Other 

 collections, however, have merely oval part-spores, and it is 

 possible that the former shape is only a transient phase. 

 Alternatively, it may possibl}^ lie related to the difference 

 in the winding of tlie ascospores which occurs in this 

 species. 



Moller collected specimens of Hypocrella phyllogena in 

 Brazil and sent them to Bresadola, who described them as 

 the type of a new genus, Moelleria (1896), which was subse- 

 quently modified to Moelleriella, owing to the previous 

 existence of a genus of Diatomacese bearing the former name. 

 The new genus was distinguished by having its asci polysporous 

 originally, whereas in Hypocrella the asci at first contain two 

 to eight long filiform spores. That decision was strongly 

 combated by MoUer, who maintained that Bresadola's 

 Moelleriella sulphurea was a true Hypocrella,. having eight- 

 spored asci, and was, in fact, identical with Hypocrella ochracea 

 Mass. and Hypocrella Edwalliayia P. Henn. 



In 1897 Saccardo and Lindau contributed to Hedwigia 

 (Vol. XXXVI.) a paper entitled " Elenchus Fungorum 

 Novorum," in which they stated of Moelleria that it was 

 " Genus judicio cl. Moller omnino dubium et delendura," 

 and pointed out that in any case the name must be changed. 

 In the same volume (p. 223) Hennings, in describing Hypo- 

 crella Edwalliana, whose eight ascospores divided into part- 

 spores in the ascus, wrote that Moller had informed him 

 that the same condition obtained in Moelleria sulphurea 

 Bres., and therefore the latter genus was identical with 

 Hypocrella. 



These statements evoked a lengthy and vigorous rejoinder 

 from Bresadola, in which he upheld his previous description. 

 Moreover, he had examined a specimen of Hypocrella Edival- 

 liana furnished by Hennings, and declared that in that, too, 

 the asci were polysporous. " Etiam in ascis junioribus sporas. 

 filiformes non vidi, sed tantum elementa sporarum quae 

 insuper neque ad lineam disposita, sed prorsus inordinate in 

 asco jacebant." Further, he had sent specimens of Hypocrella 

 Edwalliana to Saccardo, who agreed that the asci appeared 

 to be ah origine polysporous. 



