38 NEW SOUTH WALES FUNGI, 



object to spore-characters being considered of generic value, they 

 are regarded as subgenera. I have followed the system adopted 

 by Saccardo in his well-known " Sylloge Fungorum," also in his 

 latest publication just received, " I Prevendibili Funghi Futuri 

 secondo la legge d' analogia" (1896). 



Asterula, Sacc, has continuous hyaline spores (Hyalosporse), 

 Asteronia, Sacc, has continuous brown spores (Phaeosporae). 

 Asterina, Lev., has two-celled hyaline spores (Hyalodidyniag). 

 Asterella, Sacc, has two-celled brown spores (Phaeodidynife). 

 Asteridium, Sacc, has multi-septate hyaline spores (H5^alophrag- 

 mise). And in the case of the specimen on Solanum viride with 

 multi-septate brown spores, I have ventured to use Asteridiella' 

 (Phaeophragmise). 



3. Asteridiella solani, nsji. 



(Plate i. Hgs. 4-9). 



On upper and under surfaces of leaves, leaf -stalks and branches; 

 forming densely crowded, minute, black, generally orbicular, often 

 confluent, easily detachable, brittle crusts, with surface of leaf 

 beneath of a pale brown or pale reddish colour. Mj'celium com- 

 posed of an interosculating network of delicate, colourless, 

 septate, luxuriantly branched hyphje, about 3 fi broad, and 

 attached to matrix, gradually passing into the stouter coloured 

 hyphse above it. Coloured hyphce dark brown, rigid, thick-walled, 

 closely interwoven, septate, branched, 8-9^ fi broad, ultimate 

 branchlets generally 1 -septate, knobbed and paler in colour. 

 Ferithecia seated on crust in clusters, depressedly globose, black, 

 rough with warty spines, 130-330 /i, the latter being the average 

 full-grown size. Asci oblong to cylindrical, 4-spored usually, 

 38-64 X 13-26 /x (immature). Sporidia brown, oblong, 4-septate, 

 slightly constricted at septa, rounded at both ends, 36-44 x 14-15/^. 

 Pycnidia globose, golden-brown, opening by circular mouth and 

 wall composed of small polygonal cells 100-140 /ix, along with 

 perithecia. Sporules minute, subglobose or oval, hyaline or 

 rarely brownish, 5 J x 3 /i or 4 /x diameter borne, on delicate 

 hyaline, septate, branched hyphse. 



