iSa APPENDIX. 



ccxxxr. SPHyERIA coriaceo ramofofufoo, in ramos fubdivifus efpanfus. 



ri'ccioidia. 



BRANCHED CIRCULAR SPELERIA. 



TAB. CLXXXII. 



'"T^HIS curious little plant I gathered on the branches of fallow 

 •*■ and hafle trees, when advanced in a ftate of decay, fo far as 

 to be eafily compreffible between the fingers. From a centre it 

 lhoots out, into a circular figure, numerous fimple, bifid, or trifid 

 branches, of a tough, hard, and leathery fubftance, of a fulvous 

 brown or ftrong orange colour, on the outfide, and having a gen- 

 tle afperity to the touch. The internal fubftance is white and 

 firm. When the plants become old, they are covered with a 

 greenifh powder, particularly near the centre. 



The feed-veffels are fmall, not vifible to the naked eye; they 

 are lodged clofe under the bark, and make prominent tubercles on 

 its furface, vifible when a little magnified. 



The entire figures are the natural fize of the plant, and fliew 

 its manner of growing on larger or fmaller pieces of wood. The 

 feparate figure, on the right hand, fhews one of the branches 

 taken off and a little magnified ; from the furface of which, a 

 fmall portion is cut off, and further magnified in the lower figure. 

 The plant adheres firmly to the wood, by the whole breadth of its 

 underfide. On opening the feed-veffels of young plants, I found 

 them full of a white gelly j thofe of the old contained brown 

 globular feeds, or were empty. 



I found this plant on dead branches, clofe by the brook below 

 Ramfden-fVood, in February, 1790. 



FINIS. 



