HYPOCRELLA AND ASCHERSONIA. 217 



The type specimen of this extraordinary species was collected 

 on Myristica at Singapore by Dr. J. Bancroft. A note on the 

 type specimen reads " Substance melts by heat like lac ; supposed 

 to be the result of bite of coccus, as a black fungus covers the tree. 

 J. Bancroft of Brisbane, Australia, January, 1878." The type 

 is now at Kew, where there is another specimen from Singapore, 

 collected by Ridley, June 26, 1908. I have also a specimen from 

 the Philippines, on Dillenia pJiilippinetisis Rolfe, Mt. Maquiling, 

 Province of Laguna, Luzon, No. 7149, E. D. Merrill, September, 

 1910, kindly sent by Dr. Merrill. It has been recorded for Ceylon 

 by Cesati, collected by Beccari, and for Java by Penzig and 

 Saccardo, but both these records more probably relate to the 

 flat form of Hypocrella oUvacea. 1 have searched for it on My- 

 ristica in Ceylon without any success. 



Cooke's figure in Grevillea erroneously shows the stroma turned 

 up at the margin ; in all the available specimens the base is quite 

 flat and closely applied to the leaf. The stronaa is subtranslucent 

 and breaks with a vitreous fracture. It is evidently composed 

 chiefly of resin, and if a section is placed in alcohol large quantities 

 of resin are dissolved out. The first observer of it noted that it 

 melted like lac. The fungus element of the stroma is a spongy 

 mass, and consists of numerous " pockets," which are filled with 

 resin. The reticulated pattern seen on the base is formed by the 

 walls of these pockets, and a similar pattern is seen in the cross 

 section. It woiild appear probable that this resin is derived from 

 the scale insect, and that the peculiar characters of this species 

 are due to the insect on which it is parasitic. Such a structure 

 might conceivably be produced by the growth of a Hypocrella 

 on one of the lac insects. The remains of a scale insect are present 

 on the type specimen, but they are not determinable. The walls 

 of the pockets consist of thin-walled hyphse 1-1 ' 5 [k diameter, not 

 the usual thick-walled hyphse of Hypocrella. In spores, ascus, 

 and habit, however, the fungus is certainly Hypocrella. 



Distribution. — Singapore, coll. J. Bancroft and coll. H. N. 

 Ridley, in Herb. Kew. Luzon, Merrill 7149 in Herb. Peradeniya. 



Figures. — Plate 3, fig. 26, specimen ex type, x 2 ; Plate 2, fig. 

 21, lower surface, x 5; Plate 4, fig. 8, section, x 3. 



Hypocrella convexa Rac, Bull. Akad. Sci. Cracovie (1906), 



p. 908. — Stromata oval in plan,' up to 5 mm, diameter, convex, 



up to 2 mm. thick in the centre, smooth or feebly rugose, 



margin obtuse or acute, pale ochraceous or yellowish-white, 



internally white, compact, but rather soft ; ostiola red-brown, 



usually sunk, sometimes slightly elevated, scattered, more 



numerous towards the margin, sometimes absent in the 



centre. Perithecia flask-shaped, with a long neck, 0'5 mm. 



deep, 0" 15-0 "2 mm. diameter. Asci 210 X 8 ;;, ; part-spores 



cylindric, or slightly barrel-shaped, ends truncate, 6-10 X 



1-5-2 tx. 



