192 PETOH ; 



Eastern. Closely allied species occur in the two regions 

 respectively, e.g., H. palmse and H. oUvacea, H. epiphylla and 

 H. Beineckiana, Aschersonia Aleyrodis and A. placenta, but 

 they are sufficiently different to be maintained as distinct 

 species. H. palmicolu, however, has been found in Trinidad 

 and in Madagascar, and the doubtful exception to the rule, 

 Hypocrella caulium, is recorded from Brazil and Africa. The 

 stromata of the BraziUan and African collections of the 

 latter species differ considerably in shape, but the variation 

 is not much greater than that which is known to occur in 

 Hypocrella oUvacea ; unfortunately, in none of the collections 

 yet made are the stromata mature. 



Classification . 



The generic descriptions of Hypocrella and Aschersonia may 

 be revised as follows : — 



Hypocrella. — Stroma superficial, easily detached, fleshy, 

 sclerotioid, composed of intricate thick-walled hyphse ; 

 brightly coloured, blackening when old ; subglobose, hemi- 

 spherical, or pulvinate. Perithecia usually flask-shaped, 

 immersed, wall distinct from the tissue of the stroma ; asci 

 cylindric, capped, two to eight-spored ; no paraphyses ; 

 spores filiform, almost as long as the ascus, separating into 

 short part-spores within the ascus ; part-spores hyahne, 

 continuous, rod-like, or becoming oval. Pycnidial stage, 

 Aschersonia, in the same or a similar stroma. Parasitic on 

 Lecaniidss and Aleyrodidse. 



Aschersonia . — Stroma as in Hypocrella . Pycnidia immersed, 

 tubular, flask-shaped, oval, or globose, or widely-open con- 

 voluted cavities : basidia simple or branched ; paraphyses 

 long and filiform, or wanting ; pycnospores hyaline, continuous, 

 f usoid or narrow-oval. Parasitic on Lecaniidm and Aleyrodidse . 



In general the genus Aschersonia has not presented any 

 difficulties to mycological systematists. One or two species 

 have been attributed to Hypocrea, but Montagne's description 

 has been sufficient to prevent many errors in generic determina- 

 tion. It may be noted that of Montagne's two species one 

 is Aleyrodiicolous and has paraphyses, while the other is 

 apparently Lecaniicolous. Montagne's description does not 



