SPH^RON/EMET. 



587 ] 



SPH.ERONiEMEI. 



from the pore becoming glued together into 

 a firm globule. The species Avhich grow 

 upon the surface of decaying plants are pro- 

 bably only forms belonging to Sphseriaceous 

 genera. 



BiBL. Berk. Brit. Flor. ii. pt. 2. p. 281; 

 Ann. Nat. Hist. vi. p. 363, ibid. 2nd ser. v. 

 p. 371 ; Fries, Summa Veget. 400, 



SPH^RONiEMEL— A family of minute 

 Coniomycetous Fungi, growing on bark, 

 or more or less dry stems or leaves, charac- 

 terized by the conceptacle ordinarily bursting 

 by a pore or ostiole, or a lid, to extrude, in 

 most cases, a gelatinous ball of filaments 

 mixed with spores. From recent observa- 

 tions it appears that the genera of this order 

 do not consist of complete species, but are 

 forms which occur in combination with As- 

 comycetous forms to complete the whole 

 development of an individual, the Sphsero- 

 nsemeous genera constituting the stylospo- 

 rous or conidial fruits of Spha?riacei, &c., 

 corresponding perhaps to the tetraspores 

 found in the Florideous Algae, which also 

 possess proper spores (see Sph^ria). 



Synopsis of British Genera. 



I. CoNioTHYRiuM. Conccptacle free, 

 membranous, opening by an irregular pore 

 at the summit ; spores globvdar. 



II. Leptostroma. Conceptacle innate, 

 subumbonate in the centre, dimidiate, at 

 length falling off", leaving a very thin disk. 



III. Phoma. Conceptacle ostiolate, very 

 thin, innate, immersed, rounded, with a 

 simple pore ; spores oblong, simple. 



IV. Leptothyrium. Conceptacle oper- 

 culate, innate, shield-shaped, not radiato- 

 fibrous ; spores spindle-shaped, simple. 



V. AcTiNOTHYRiUM. Conccptacle opcr- 

 culate, innate, shield-shaped, radiato-fibrous ; 

 spores spindle-shaped, simple. 



VI. MicROTHECiUM. Couccptacle iudc- 

 hiscent, membranous, immersed, endophytic; 

 spores simple. 



VII. Cryptosporium. Conceptacle 

 membranous, opening irregularly at the 

 summit ; spores spindle-shaped, simple. 



VIII. Sph^ron^ma. Conceptacle 

 horny, innate-superficial, more or less pro- 

 duced into a neck, ostiole simple ; spores 

 oblong, simple. 



IX. Acrospermum. Conceptacle lea- 

 thery externally, fleshy within, elongate- 

 clavate, ostiole simple ; spores stick- shaped, 

 simple. 



X. DiPLODiA. Conceptacle horny, in- 

 nate-supei'ficial or immersed, perforated by 



a pore or irregularly opened or ostiolate, 

 ostiole more or less produced ; spores ovoid 

 or ellipsoid, double, then halved into com- 

 pressed-ternate, semi-ellipsoid sporules. 



XI. Hendersonia. Conceptacle fleshy, 

 superficially innate or immersed, perforated 

 by a pore, opening irregularly or ostiolate, 

 ostiole more or less produced ; spores glo- 

 bose, cylindrical or discoid. 



XII. Septoria. Conceptacle horny, 

 innate-immersed, rounded, ostiole simple ; 

 spores cylindrical, septate. 



XIII. Vermicularia. Conceptacle 

 bristl}'^, depressed, bursting irregularly; spores 

 minute, linear. 



XIV. Neottiosporia. Conceptacles 

 immersed : spores appendaged at one end 

 with short hyaline threads. 



XV. Prosthemium. Conceptacle horny, 

 immersed, ostiole simple; spores transversely 

 septate, verticillate at the apex of their fila- 

 ments. 



XVI. AsTEROMA. Conceptacle very 

 small, slightly prominent, close, sub-con- 

 fluent, seated on more or less distinct radia- 

 ting fibrils. 



XVII. Angiopoma. Conceptacles free, 

 membranous, somewhat horny, cup -shaped, 

 dehiscing by a circular mouth, provided with 

 a fugacious epiphragm; spores aflixed at the 

 base, stalked, septate. 



XVIII. DiscosiA. Conceptacles innate, 

 somewhat carbonaceous, at length collapsed 

 and plicate, ostiole perforated ; spores fusi- 

 form, produced at both ends into a thread- 

 like point. 



XIX. PiGGOTTiA. Conceptacles very 

 irregular, thin, obsolete beneath, confluent 

 into a rugulose patch, bursting by an irregular 

 crack ; spores on short stalks, largish, ob- 

 ovate, somewhat constricted towards the 

 base. 



XX. Phlyct^na. Conceptacle spurious, 

 formed by the blackened epidermis ; spores 

 fusiform, cuspidate, septate, emerging ac- 

 companied by a gelatinous mass. 



XXI. MiCROPERA. Conceptacle innate, 

 membranous, ovate, elongate, bursting at 

 the apex ; spores linear, continuous, curved, 

 emerging in a mass accompanied by gela- 

 tine. 



XXII. Gl^osporium. Conceptacle ab- 

 sent, spores covered only by the cuticle, 

 which separates ; spores stalked, longish, 

 elliptical, simple, exuding a gelatinous 

 tendril. 



XXIII. Melasmia. Conceptacles mem- 

 branous, superficial, rather tumid, at length 



