64 Mycologia 



Nectria athroa Ellis & Everh. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., 1890: 



247. 1 89 1. 

 Nectria viticola Berk. & Curt. Grevillea 4: 45. 1875. 



Perithecia gregarious or scattered, superficial, ovoid, mostly 

 entire, but often collapsing when prematurely dried, smooth, 

 blood-red, shining, about 200-275 X 250-300 mic. when mature ; 

 ostiolum obtuse but very prominent ; asci cylindrical, 60-75 X 6-7 

 mic, 8-spored ; spores obliquely arranged in the ascus, i-seriate 

 below, partially 2-seriate, above, narrow fusoid or subelliptical, 

 slightly constricted, 10-12 X 4-5 mic, granular within (pi. 4. f 6; 

 pi 5. f. 17). 



Type locality: Nova Scotia. 



Distribution : Nova Scotia to New Jersey, Ohio and Kansas. 



Illustrations: Bolton, Fungi Halifax, 3: pi. 121. f. i; Bul- 

 liard. Herb. France pi. 487. f. 5. 



Specimens examined: Alabama, Peters 522^ (cotype of A''. 

 viticola Berk. & Curt.) ; New Jersey, Ellis; New York, Seaver; 

 Ohio, Morgan; Kansas, Kellerman & Swingle 1325. 



Distinguished by the blood-red, ovoid, mostly entire perithecia 

 and their habitat on rotten wood. 



This species is usually attributed to Sibthorp,* although Bol- 

 ton's description quoted above antedates that of Sibthorp by 

 five years. No type specimen of this species has been seen and it 

 is doubtful if such exists but the species is so well defined that 

 Bolton's description and accompanying illustrations leave httle 

 chance for doubt as to its identity. The species is fairly well 

 marked by the ovoid, blood-red perithecia which occur on rotten 

 wood entirely destitute of stroma. The following is the note 

 accompanying the original description. 



" This Sphaeria grows on putrid wood ; great numbers grow 

 in close neighborhood but do not in any wise adhere to one 

 another. They are oval or egg-shaped ; the base broader than 

 the top. Each has a perforation in the top, and is about the size 

 of a poppy seed, as in the lower figure; the other figures shew 

 them as they appear when magnified and cut both perpendicu- 

 larly and horizontally. The colour on the outside is deep, bright 

 bloody hue ; the surface shining with a gloss like polished coral ; 

 the inside and seeds are white." 



* Sibth. Fl. Oxoniensis 404. 1794. 



