6 
a collective species; the pyenidial stage of Valsa ambiens Sacc., 
which . constantly occurs, with it, and which is also a collective 
species varying much on the different substrata. 
Recorded abroad also on Alnus, Carpinus, Cornus, Populus, 
etc. The prominent disc is almost always round, and varies in 
colour from white through grey to black; the spores are very 
variable, from 4 to 7 » in length, with sporophores from 10 up to 
30 
fb. 3 
The fungus gets its name from the fact that the numerous 
black ostioles of the perithecia of the Valsa stage are often arranged 
in the form of a ring (i.e. cireum-ambient) just within the periphery 
of the disc. The form on Betula may belong to Valsa betulina Nits. 
and besides that other forms on Crataegus, Rubus, Tilia, etc., may 
be distinguished: see C. Oxyacanthae, C. carphosperma, and C. 
leucosperma, all of which have been included by various authors 
under C. ambiens. The chief mark of the collective species seems 
to be the at length dingy disc, the much branched sporophores, 
and the colour of the tendrils. The latter is white at first, not 
pure white; but opaline white, the white of ‘‘ London ”’ milk or of 
opal gas-globes, changing sooner or later to a yellow of varying 
intensity; but there seems always to reside in the yellow a tur- 
bidity which gives it a peculiar character, perhaps that implied 
by Lind when he calls the tendrils of ¢. ambiens on Fraxinus. 
** olivaceous.”’ 
Distrib. Europe, North and South America. 
C. Ampelopsidis C. Massal. — Mic. Ver. p. 86, pl. 2, f. 12. 
Sacc. Syll. x. 243. Allesch. vi. 
- Stromata scattered, somewhat oval, longitudinally placed, 
flattened-convex, black, 400-600 pw long, nestling in the cortex 
and for a long time entirely concealed by it, at length disclosing 
an oval blackish disc, marked with several minute non-projecting 
pores, multilocellate within, the loculi small and varying much in 
shape and arrangement, separated by thick dark brown walls. 
Spores 5-6 x 1-1-5 yw, in mass nearly (but not quite) colourless; 
sporophores crowded, parallel, rod-shaped, usually very erect 
and straight, 15-18 x1 jp. 
_ On twigs of Ampelopsis hederacea. Kirkby, Lancs. (Ellis). 
June. Distinguished from C. Vitis Mont. by being all but com- 
pletely concealed by the outer tissues. Massalongo says that the 
tendrils are “ pinkish when moist, reddish-amber when dry. 
Distrib. Germany, Italy. 
C. annulata Hil. & ne in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1893, 
p- 160. Sace. Syll. xi. 
Stromata immersed, a about 1 mm. diam. slate 
rere nai within, with a ringed ostiole. Spores 5-6 x 1-1:25 p, 
66 fe) 
On dead branches of Acer Negundo, Kew Gardens (Cooke). 
When perfectly developed, as seen in American specimens, 
this. presents a remarkably ringed appearance. The black 
