374 E. S. SALMON ON NEW OR RARE BRITISH FUNGI. 



radiating on all sides from a central portion ; sterigmata usually 

 four at the apex of each basidium, obclavate, 8 — 10 /x long ; 

 spores globose, blackish, very minutely verruculose, produced in 

 short chains, 4 jx diameter ; mycelium slender, creeping, hyaline. 



Hah. — On stale bread, Kew, England (G. Massee). 



The description above given was drawn up by Mr. Massee 

 from examination of the living Kew specimens. 



S. nigra, which has been recorded from France and Germany, 

 is a species which is found on many dififerent kinds of matrix. 

 Yan Tieghem found it to occur " in dilutis gallis, in solutis tannino, 

 saccharo, acido citrico, acido tartrico, etc. ; in pane humido, in 

 urina acida, in foliis deciduis, etc." The same author states that 

 the sterile mycelium of the present species acts as a kind of 

 ferment in a tannin solution, converting it into gallic acid and 

 glycose. It was also observed that the spores in the course of 

 their development gave off a strong odour of Chinese ink. Van 

 Tieghem has recorded the occurrence of sclerotia in S. nigra, 

 and the subsequent formation, after a period of rest, of perithecia 

 containing discoid ascospores like those of Eurotium herhariorum. 

 Bainier states that occasionally five sterigmata are produced on 

 some basidia. 



The only species of Sterigmatocystis recorded by Massee (Brit. 

 Fung. Fl., III., 298) is S. dubia, very distinct from the present 

 species in its white tufts and colourless spores. 



Arthroderma Curreyi Berk. (Figs. 11 — 13). 



A. Curreyi Berk. Outl. Brit. Fung. 357 (1860). 



Illosporium Curreyi (Berk.) Sacc. Syll. Fung., iv., 660 (1886); 

 Massee, Brit. Fung. Fl., III., 469 (1893). 



This fungus, which is known at present only from Britain, 

 where it appears very rare or is frequently passed over, occurred 

 in fair quantity on dead leaves under trees in the Queen's Cottage 

 Wood, Kew, in April, 1900. 



