504 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [june 



perithecia (often only one) near the center of the spot, each of which sends out 

 long radial filaments. Although no exsiccati having been available for com- 

 parison, it was impossible to be certain of a correct interpretation of the 

 description, our specimen seems to show certain more or less inconformable 

 characters. '^ 



The colonies are large, 1-5 mm. in diameter, and give rise to a compara- 

 tively large number of perithecia scattered uniformly throughout the entire 

 colony. The perithecia are dimidiate, rather than subdimidiate, and are made 

 up of radiating hyphae which extend somewl;iat beyond the limits of the 

 perithecium to form an areola (fig. 16) somewhat similar to, but entirely distinct 

 in aspect from that surrounding the perithecia of M. aibonitensis Stevens, M. 

 comodadiae Stevens, etc. 



Gaillard called attention to the Microthyriaceous aspect of the 

 perithecia of M. asterinoides, but the present specimen may be seen 

 actually to possess Microthyriaceous characters in its dimidiate 

 and radially formed perithecium which opens by a false ostiole. 

 It is possible, therefore, that the specimen may throw some light 

 upon the phylogenetic relationship of the genus. 



In mycelium and spores, this specimen is characteristically a 

 Meliola; but in perithecial development and characters it is almost 

 typically Microthyriaceous. The development of the perithecium 

 begins by the extrusion of a hyphopodium-like branch, i or 2 cells 

 long, at some point, usually near the growing tip (fig. 12) of a 

 filament. The tip of this special branch then becomes swollen 

 (fig. no), and just beneath the swollen part a small thumb like 

 projection (fig. 11b) is sent out in such a manner that, at its com- 

 pletion, what may be termed the first stage resembles somewhat the 

 profile of a closed fist. The thumbhke portion now grows until it 

 reaches approximately two-thirds the size of the enlarged tip, and 

 lies alongside it (fig. 12a). There now appear, along the outer edges 

 of the 2 prongs thus formed, evident indentations (fig. 13a) that 

 eventually cut the tip of the perithecial branch into 5 or 6 cells, 

 which may be regarded as perithecial mother cells. Simultaneously 

 with the appearance of the marginal indentations, one finds growing 

 out radially from beneath the edges of the perithecial mother cells 

 a number of rather light colored hyphae (fig. 13 ft) which, as growth 

 continues, eventually form a complete circle of elongated radiating 

 cells (fig. 14a) about the cells from which they originated. When 



