Sphceria.] 



FUNGI. 235 



pie or branched compressed at first pulverulent with white 

 meal then naked, stem villous. Sow. t. 35. With. v. 4. p. 357. 

 Moug. 4' Nest.! n. 272. PiirL v. 2 cj 3. n. 1109. Fr. Sijst. 

 31yc. V. 2. ;;. 327. Sckr. Sued n. 181. S. digitata. Bolt. 

 t, 129. Clav. Hupoxylon, Linn. Sp. Plant, 1652. Xylaria 

 Eijpoxylon, Grev. Fl. Ed. p. 355. Baxt. ! Ox. n. 74. SpJi, 

 ramosa, Dicks. Fasc. 4. t. U.f. 7. Soia. ! t. 395. / 2. (in text 

 f. 1.). S. peditnculata, Dicks. I. c.f.S. Soiv. ! t. 437. 



On sticks, stumps, &c. Very common. — Sporidia elliptic, septate, 

 or containing two sporidiola. Nothing can be more sportive than the 

 present species, being sometimes exceedingly branched, sometimes pal- 

 mate, sometimes quite simple with the head ovate and acuminate, linear, 

 or even globose as in S. pedimculata, Dicks. Occasionally the apices 

 are not barren.— *S);//. ramosa, Dicks, and Sow., I am quite sure is a 

 variety. The low er part of the specimens is covered with a dense pur- 

 ple mucedinous substance, consisting of branched filaments very much 

 resembling to the naked eye, Ceramium JRotkii. The same substance 

 sometimes occurs on S. digitata, when imjierfectly developed, and occa- 

 sionally on the more common forms of S. Hypoxylon, when much elon- 

 gated. ' I have also seen it on S. pohjmorplia. There is some confu- 

 sion in the citation of aS. ramosa by Fries in consequence of the 

 figures being wrongly numbered in the pi ate. The plant rightly referred by 

 Fries to S. bomhar'da under the name of S. rauiosa is S. rcptans. Sow. ! 

 f. 305, /. 1. {in text f. 2.). S. ftisca. Sow. figured on the same plate 

 belongs probably to the division Pcrtusa;, but the specimens in the 

 herbarium are not sufficiently good to determine the species accurately, 

 there being little remaining except the persistent bases of the perithecia. 

 Abortive states of this plant pass under the name of Bhizomorpha 

 subcorticalis, though, as Fries observes, every production so named is 

 not to be referred to it. Withering long ago perceived the connexion : 

 the editor of the last edition is, however, most probably wrong in refer- 

 ring to Bh. impcrialis. I perfectly agree with that most judicious 

 author, id. Fries, as to the desirableness of excluding from the list of 

 fungi all such doubtful productions. Nothing, however, can be more 

 inte^resting, and, as regards the physiology of these plants, more instruc- 

 tive than the correct "reference of such^ abortive forms to the perfect 

 species. 



11. S, carpopkila, Pers. {mrtst Sphceria) ; corky slender sim- 

 ple, clavula subulate albido-pulverulent at lenc^th black, stem 

 very lon^ root-like. Pers. Ohs. 2. t. 1. / 3. {Jidc Fr.). Fr, 

 Syst. Mi/c. V. 2. p. 328. Sclcr. Succ. ! n. 302. Fl. Dan. 

 t. 1858./. 1. 



On beech mast. Very common in Northamptonshire. Jicv. M. J. 

 J?t77ic/ey.— Communicated by Mr. Baxter to P//;7(>/j. — Often gregari- 

 ous, the plant intended by" Kay as (piotcd by Fries is surely not this. 



Div. 11. PouoNiA (from coso;, n pore). Cup-shaped, margi- 

 natCy stipitatc or sessile. 



12. .S'. 2)7nirtdta, L. (dotted ciip-shnpcd Sphcvria) ; <U\^\X^\G 

 turbinate, disc truuaite dotted with the black osliola, ex- 



