SPOROTRICHEAE 799 



Link describes the genus as follows: 



3. Sporothrichum. Thallus e flocvis vntricatis decumbentibus aut erectiusculis, ramosis, 

 septatis, Sporidia ubique inspersa, rotumdata. 



Caespitibus late effusis truncos caesas aliaque vegetabilia putrescentia investiunt. 

 Varios hdbent colores, saepe pulchtrriinos. Sporidia plerumque globosa, parva aut minuta, 

 varia copia inspersa. Fleraeque species persistunt. Genus hinc affine Asporotricho et Dematio 

 quibus vero sporidia nulla, inde Botryti, a quanam floccis decumbentibus differt a Geotricho, 

 Trichothecio, Epochnio discrepat sporidiis multo minoribus nee truncatis, nee didymis nee 

 appendiculatis. Fleraeque species nondum descriptae. 



Sp. badiutn caespitibus tcnmbus, floccis badiis decumbentibus, sporidiis parvis. Tomenti 

 instar tenuis truncos emortiio^is hurmdos laic obducit, saepe Sphaeriis incumbens. Sporidia 

 non ita crebra. Iconem V. fig. 14. 



A study of Link's Fig. 14 shows a repent, septate mycelium with scattered lateral, nearly 

 spherical conidia, no erect conidiophores. 



In 1815, Link again treated the genus, adding his previous Asporothricum and Dematium. 

 He divided his genus into two subgenera, Lysisporvwm, thallus septate, densely covered with 

 spores, easily falling apart, and Alytosporiuvi, thallus either septate or not, conidia strongly 

 adherent, rarely absent. His type species, S. badium, belongs in the latter. The first sub- 

 genus contained thirteen species, the second twelve. The descriptions are extremely brief, 

 based largely on the host. As a whole, the genus seemed to be saprophytic on deadwood, 

 although fallen leaves and earth are mentioned. 



In 1818, Link again treated the genus, adding species which he had previously treated 

 in Aleurisma and Collarvum and separating Alytosporium. He no longer recognized subgenera 

 and arranged his key strictly on the basis of color. Thus, his genus Sporotrichum of 1818 

 becomes the same as his genus Aletirisma of 3S09, while his Sporothrichum becomes Alyto- 

 sporium, in 1818. 



Martins, Flora Cryptogamica Erlangensis 335-337, 1817, treated the genus, including 

 only species already described by Nees and Link. 



Nees, Das System der Pilse und Schiodmme 1816, described iSi. laxu/m and mentions sev- 

 eral of Link's species. He would select the group of S. fulvum, S. badvumi, etc., as true 

 Sporotrichum. 



In Gray's Natural Arrangement of British Flants 550-551, 1821, 5 species are described, 

 all originally described in Link, 1809, including ;Si. badium; Aleurisma not mentioned. 



In his Sy sterna Mycologicum 3: 415-425, 1832, Fries treats 32 species, arranging them 

 by color, as Link had done in 1818. Saccardo, Michelia 2: 16, 1882, considers S. rosewm or 

 S. virescens as the type of the genus. 



In 1885, Saccardo & Marchal (Bull. Soc. Eoy. Bot, Belgique 24: 65) described Ehino- 

 cladvum based on B. coprogenum from rabbit dung (Fig. 121) later adding Sporotrichum 

 torulosum Bonorden. This genus was evidently erected to be analogous to Sporotrichum, 

 but differed in having black spores. It is said to differ from Trichosporium, Fries by the 

 presence of sterigmata. As the presence or absence of color is rather variable in this group, 

 it has seemed best to retain Sporotrichum, although the commonest species, S. SchencJci, might 

 with equal propriety be placed in Bhinocladium, as is frequently done by French workers. 



Hyphae septate, repent, irregularly branched. Conidiophores not differen- 

 tiated, or at most, a terminal conidium on a short branch ; conidia lateral or 

 terminal, often sessile or on a short sterigma, ovoid or spherical, hyaline or 

 light colored, usually small. 



This is a large, rather poorly defined genus of saprophytes, which has 

 been used as a place to put poorly defined mycelia with spores ever since it 

 was first created. Some of the older mycologists, such as Saccardo and 

 Lindau, placed most of the dermatophytes here without regard to their evi- 



