TOEULACEI. 483 



On beecli. 



Forming a black velvety stratum; flocci erect, 'simple, tapering towards 

 the base : external membrane tougb, inarticulate ; endocbrome breaking up 

 into cylindrical quadri-articulate spores, at length escaping from the rup- 

 tured thread, each joint having frequently a single nucleus. — B. d: Br. 



(Fig. 192.) 



Gen. 157. SFORIDESiyilUIVZ, Link. 



Spores mostly irregular, pluricellu- 

 lar, springing immediately from the 

 obscure mycelium, rarely borne upon a 

 distinct peduncle, more rarely unisep- 

 tate. — Berk. Outl.p. 327. 



(Fig.1^2,.) 

 Fig. 193. 



14:39. Sporidesxnium. polymorphum. Corda. " Many-shaped 



Sporidesmium." 



Tufts black, effused, powdery, opaque ; spores pedicellate, 

 oblong, [black-brown, opaque, cellular ; peduncle filiform, sep- 

 tate, or irregularly cellulose, brown. — Corda. Icon. i. /. 119. B. 

 Sf Br. Ann. N.H. no. 452. 



On decaying oak. Feb. Wraxall. 



Eemarkable for its closely septate peduncle. (Fig. 193.) 



1440. Sporidesmium alteznaxiae. Cooke. " Paper 



Sporidesmium." 



Tufts irregular, dendritic, bright dark brown ; hyphasma 

 creeping, profuse, filiform, hyaline, branched, sparsely septate ; 

 spores irregular, ovate, sub-pyriform, or cylindrical, one or more 

 septate, with transverse divisions, brown. — Sporidesmium pobj- 

 morjihuni var. chartarum. Cooke exs. no. 329. 



On varnished wall paper. Jan. — May. 



This can scarcely be a form of S. 'polymorphxira from the nature of the 

 peduncles ; the hyphasma is too much developed for a good Sporidesmium. 1 

 am disposed to regard it as a condition of Alterno.ria cho/rtarura. Preuss. 

 (Sturm, vi. t. 49.) Mr Broome and myself have seen distinct indications of 

 a moniliform arrangement of spores, under an inch objective, but the at- 

 tachment seems so slight that we could not verify this with higher powers. 

 Never having seen specimen or descrijjtion of Sporidesmium ckarfarumf 

 B. & C. (from Mid. Carolina. U.S.), I cannot be certain that this is distinct. 



—M. a C. 



