GROWING about HALIFAX. 129 



SPH./ERIA fubramofa, apicibus albidis, bafts nigris hirfutis. CLXIII 

 C lav aria digit at a. Sp. PL 1652. Vel C lav aria hy poxy Ion, di . 

 ib.ib^z. Hudfon, Angl. 639. Scheef.Fung. ^.328. Var. 

 Ligbtfoot, Scot. 1058, 1059, 5, 6. Sphaeria digitata. 

 Relhan, Flor. p. 437, 988, et ib. 989. 



FINGERED SPH^RIA. 



TAB. CXXIX. 



/ T~ V HIS Sphaeria is a year or upwards, from its fpringing up 

 -*■ to its decay. In September and October the moots ap- 

 pear, they are then covered with a white farinaceous powder, 

 on the upper part ; they are of various forms, fometimes plain 

 and fimple, tapering to a long extended point, growing in bun- 

 dles, as at a. fometimes they are fimple or forked, and rife 

 to the height of five inches, obtufe at the top, and nearly of 

 equal thicknefs throughout, as at d. fometimes they are two 

 or three inches high, the fummits comprefied, palmated, di- 

 gitated, tridented, or forked ; in all thefe flates they are 

 covered, near the top, with the above-mentioned white pow- 

 der, which continues upon them from Oclober till March, 

 and no fphaerulae are in that fpace of time difcoverable. In 

 this fiate it is the Clavaria hypoxylon of the Botanifts. 



In April and May the white powder turns grey and vanifhes, 

 the extremities of the upper divifions alio wither and decay : 

 The fphaerulae are now formed, and they continue to grow 

 till after Midfummer; and, being lodged near the furface, 

 have the appearance of tubercles on the outfide of the plant, 

 as at e.f. g. One of thefe is obliquely cut off, and magnified 

 at h. to fhew the arrangement of the black fphaerulae, as they 

 are lodged in the tough, dry, white, elaftic fubftance of the 

 plant. In this ftate it makes the Clavaria digitata of the 

 Florijl&; foon after which it fheds the feed and perilhes. 



In both fiates it is covered with fiifF black hairs near the 

 bafe; the root fometimes infinuates itfelf between the bark and 

 the wood, as at c. 



I have obferved the plant in all thefe dates, for a fucceflion 

 of years. • " ■Is not the white powder a Male Flower ? 



