254 PETCH : 



The type specimen, the only gatliering, of this species is now in 

 Herb. Paris, and a co-type in Herb. Kew. It was collected on 

 leaves of Cyrtandra, Tahiti. There is a large number of examples 

 of the fungus, but they are very' small, ranging from about 0*5 

 mm. to 1 mm. The original description gives the size of the 

 stroma as to 1-2 mm. In general, they are discoid, i.e., 

 circular with a flat top, but a few are slightly convex above. 

 Montagne stated that theperithecia (*.e.,pycnidia) are ovoid with 

 a short neck, the ostiola being " per rimulas extus conjunctis "; 

 the latter feature is characteristic of A. oxystojna, in which the 

 ostiola are united by a circular furrow, and it also occurs in 

 A. Tmnurai. 



His figures show the pycnidia flask-shaped in vertical section, 

 and circular in cross section, scattered through the stroraa. In 

 the specimen examined by me, the apparent number and shape 

 of the pycnidia varied according to the height of the transverse 

 section from the base. The pycnidia were crowded together, 

 and irregular because of their proximity. In cross section they 

 were irregularly oval or circular, frequently lobed, up to 0- 3 x 

 0-2 mm. The lower sections showed (apparently) a greater 

 number of pycnidia than those taken in the upper region of the 

 stroma. It wovild ap]3ear, therefore, that the pycnidia are 

 roughly ovoid, irregularly lobed. and convoluted at the base ; and 

 they open either by a small pore or by an elongated, linear orifice. 

 The pycnidia thus reseml^le to some extent those of A. placanta. 

 but they do not, in the available specimens, open so wideh% nor 

 do the extruded spores fuse into a continuous mass. The fungus 

 gives a yellow extract, and becomes yellow to orange red (in 

 section) with potash. 



In Montague's published figure {loc. cit.) the spore is shown as 

 septate, but his original drawing -shows them guttulate. 



This species is near Hypocrella discoidea, from which it differs in 

 its crowded and irregular pycnidia. Its spores are, on the average, 

 smaller and its paraphyses shorter, but were it not for the shape 

 of the pycnidia it might be included in discoidea. 



Distrihution. — ^Tahiti, in Herb. Paris and Herb. Kew. 



Figures. — Plate 3, fig. 35, specimen ex type, x 12 ; Plate 5, 

 fig. 42, section, x 10, 



Aschersonia Aleyrodis Webber, Bull. No. 13, U. S. Depart- 

 mentofAgriculture,Div. ofVeg.Phys.aIldPath.(1897),p.20.— 

 St^omataflattenedpulvinate,upto2Inm. diameter, 2 mm. thick, 

 usually surrounded by a thin membranous hypothallus 

 up to 1 mm. broad; minutely tomentose, rather soft, pinkish- 

 bufl" or cream-coloured. Pycnidia sometimes flask-shaped, 

 usually irregular, convoluted ; pycnidial orifices scattered 

 or circularly arranged, circular or oval. Pycnospores fusoid, 



