62 FETCH : REVISIONS OF 



The perithecia are produced in circular flattened clusters, 

 about 1-2 mm. in diameter, often crowded together over a 

 large area. In fresh specimens the apex of the perithecium is 

 rounded. The perithecia are spherical or elongated, and 

 open by an irregularly circular pore or a longitudinal fissure : 

 they are '5-15 mm. in diameter when spherical, and up to 

 1"75 X -75 mm. when elongated. 



The irregularity of the stromata in the dried specimens is 

 due in great part to the irregular dehiscence of the perithecia. 

 The spores are thick- walled, continuous, oval, blackish 

 olivaceous, 13-18 x 8-10 /i. The perithecia and stromata 

 are carbonaceous : the stromata bursts through the bark and 

 appears superficial. 



In the report of the Mycologist, Royal Botanic Gardens, 

 Ceylon, 1905, this species was referred to as Sphceropsis undu- 

 lata, B. & C, on the supposition that the herbarium specimens, 

 with which the recently collected specimens were compared, 

 had been correctly named by Berkeley and Broome. 



17.— Asterina congesta, Cooke. 



The leaves of Santalum album at Peradeniya are usually 

 covered with a black mycelium which sometimes injures them 

 to such an extent that the trees are defoliated. A similar 

 fungus on Santalum album in India was described by Cooke 

 (Grev. VIII., p. 95) as Asterina congesta. His description is 

 " Epiphylla : peritheciis discoideis, atrobrunneis , 100-150/' 

 in diameter, rimoso-dehiscentibus, densissime congestis : myce- 

 lio tenui, brunneo, sparso ; ascis ovatis : sporidiis eUipticis 

 brunneis, medio byalino-cinctisdemum uniseptatis, 20 x 10." 



The fungus on Santalum at Peradeniya grows on both sides 

 of the leaf but is usually most abundant on the under surface. 

 It begins in smaU circular patches which ultimately coalesce 

 and cover almost the whole surface. To the naked eye the 

 mycelium is black ; when magnified it appears brown, forming 

 a network of small mesh, and passing into a rather plentiful 

 hyaline mycelium. The hyphae are about 5-7 /^ in diameter, 

 irregularly swollen and bent at intervals, and are furnished 

 with scanty appressoria which are short, blunt, curved, 



