44 CLASSIFICATION OF THE SPH^RIACEI. 



to give a brief account of the system employed by Fuckel in bis 

 Symbols© Mycologies,* in which are adopted many of the more im- 

 portant genera of Tulasne, De Notaris, Nitschke, Rabenhorst, 

 etc. 



In speaking of the Sphasrias generally, Fuckel observes that 

 they all probably pass through various stages of development ; in 

 a few instances these are known to consist of the Conidia, Sper- 

 mogonia, Pycnidia, and the Ascophore. It must, however, be 

 admitted that in very many more cases nothing whatever is known 

 of their earlier conditions, and at present but little help can be 

 derived from this source. 



The Sphreriacei are, in the first instance, separated into two very 

 unequal divisions, by the nature of the matrix upon which the in- 

 dividual species subsist, viz., into the Vegetabilicoli and the Fimi- 

 coli, the former embracing some 64 genera and the latter eight 

 only. 



The Vegetabilicoli are divided into two nearly equal groups, the 

 Simple and Compound. According to the system commonly 

 adopted in this country, f the 290 species of our Simple Sphasrias are 

 divided into 16 genera, about 200 being located in the genus 

 Sphreria, while the remaining 90 are distributed over the other 15 

 genera. 



The Simple Sphasrias are divided by Fuckel into 37 genera, 

 which are arranged in six groups, called respectively the Sphceriece, 

 Ceratostomece, Pleosporece, Lasio splicer iece, Massariece, and Lopkios- 

 tomece. 



The first group commences with Fries' genus Splicerella, con- 

 taining nearly sixty members. This is followed by the genus 

 Sphceria, composed of 40 species, of which it is remarked that 

 " although it at present contains some very heterogenous forms, yet 

 future investigations into the lower states of their fructification, 

 will probably afford more satisfactory data, on which to base their 

 separation into genera." Amongst its contents are found such 

 species as Isothea pustula, rhytismoides and immunda, Sphaerella 

 rusci and Sphseria corni-suecise. 



The second group, or Ceratostomere, includes Gnomonia, a genus 

 of Epiphyllous Sphasrias characterised by their elongated ostiola ; 

 it corresponds with the division Foliicolce of Fries, and, conse- 

 quently, contains Sphreria fimbriata, tubreformis, setacea and 

 gnomon (= U. vulgaris, De Not). Linospora is a small genus, in 

 which Isothea saligna (Berk.) is located ; Rhapliidospora, a genus 

 of Caulicolous Splnerias, answering to the division which has 

 long, thread-like, more or less articulate sporidia, includes Sp. 

 rubella, herpotricha and acuminata (= R. Carduorum, Tul.) ; Cera- 

 tostoma, the typical genus of this group, answers to Fries' division 



* " Symbols Mycologicse." By L. Fuckel. Wiesbaden. 1869. 

 f The classification here referred to, as well as the nomenclature employed, are 

 those used in the " Handbook of British Fungi.", 



