CLASSIFICATION OF THE BPELERIACEI. 



45 



of tlie same name, Sp. pilifera and cirrhosa being amongst its most 

 important members. 



The third group, or Pleosporerc, takes its name from the prin- 

 cipal genus Pleospont, which is made to embrace more species, ac- 

 cording to Fuckel's limitation of it, than it is generally regarded 

 as doing. For not only are those species possessing brown, muri- 

 form sporidia, placed here (Pleospora genuina, of which Sp. 

 herbarum is the type), but also those with fusiform septate sporidia, 

 such as Sp. doliolum, acuta and agnita, which are classed by De 

 Notaris in his genus Leptosphau-ia, and in addition to these it 

 contains Sp. arundinaeea and culmifraga. A new genus, Didy- 

 mospJuvria, receives Sp. epidermidis and diplospora. 



In the fourth group (Lasiosphaerieae), the typical genus Lasio- 

 sphceria, originally proposed by De Notaris, is now made to embrace 

 only those of the Villosaj, which have coloured, septate sporidia, 

 such as Sp. racodium, hirsuta and hispida ; while in Leptospora 

 are placed those with undivided sporidia, as Sp. ovina, strigosa and 

 even Sp. spermoides. A new genus, Trichosplueria, receives Sp. 

 pilosa. Rosellinia includes the species, with simple brown sporidia, 

 similar to those found in the genus Hypoxylon, such as Sp. 

 aquila, mamuiseformis, and pulveracea. 



The fifth group (Massariea?) has only two genera — Ejichnoa, in 

 which are placed Sp. lanata and glis, and Massaria proper. 



The sixth and last group (Lophiostoinea3),into which the genera 

 of simple Sphaerias are classed, commences with the Lophiostoma of 

 De Notaris ; Melanomma, in which the members have small, hard 

 perithecia, such as Sp. pomiformis and pulvis-pyrius ; Teichospora, 

 with its brown muriform sporidia, may be regarded as being typi- 

 fied in Sp. obducens ; Trematosphceria, in some degree answering to 

 the Pertusce, and finishes with two genera (Bertia and Bombardia), 

 containing but a single species in each — Bertia moriformis (Sp. 

 morifonnis) and Bombardia fasciculata (Sp. bombardia). 



The division Compositi differs from our own, not only in the 

 greater number of genera into which it is divided, but also in con- 

 taining several specific forms" which we regard as simple Sphaerias. 



The first group of genera, Cucurbitariea?, contains the genus 

 Nitschkia, consisting of three members — Cucur! itaria cupularis, 

 Sp. tristis, and Sp. exilis. The two first of these plants are, as 

 Fackel regards them, closely allied, and differ in little else than in 

 the size of the sporidia and in the number of nuclei they contain. It 

 is possible that the first named may be identical with the Sp. tristis* 

 var. Bporidiia Majoribus, of Messrs. Berkeley and Broome. It should 

 be observed that Fuckel is here speaking of the Sp. tristis of 

 Persoon, Tode's plant he regards as Sp. phteostroma, Mont. A 

 similar view, it will be remembered, was taken in the " English 

 Flora," vol. v., part ii. 



* " Annals of Natural History," vol. 7, No. 42, p. 435. 



