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MR. F. CURREY ON THE FRUCTIFICATION OF COMPOUND SPH^RI^. 261 



matrix, not circumscribed (as ia the Lignosic) with a black line. Perithecia vertical, irregularly 

 scattered through the stroma, their necks at first included in it, but at length exserted. 



Div. 8. CoNCBESCENTES. — Stroma thin ett'used, indeterminate, never circumscribed, innate, not 



erumpent, formed from the matrix or from tiie confluence of the perithecia. Perithecia subglo- 



bose, vertical, irregularly aggregated, at first solitary, then confluent, emergent, attenuated into 



a short neck. No erumpent disk. 



Section III. Amphiphericje. — Perithecia with elongated necks, convergent, circinating, surrounded 



by a spurious pustulate stroma. 



Div. 9. CiRCUMSCiiiPT/E. — Stroma formed from the matrix, more or less rounded, included in a 

 proper black ventricose conceptaculum which is compressed at the apex. Perithecia scattered in 

 the stroma, irregularly circinating, decumbent, with rather long, converging, ultimately umbili- 

 cate necks, bursting out from the conceptaculum. 



Div. 10. Incus/e. — Stroma formed from the matrix, rounded, included below in a proper open 

 dimidiate conceptaculum, covered above with the subcomate epidermis, through which it bursts, 

 forming a somewhat waxy, more or less flat disk. Perithecia collected in the centre of the 

 stroma, irregularly circinating, their necks perforating the disk, but less protruded than in the 

 former tribe. 



Div. 11. Obvallat^. — Stroma cortical without any proper conceptaculum. Perithecia immersed 

 in the inner bark, collected in a circle; ostiola collected into a disk. 



Div. 12. CiRCiNAXiE.— Stroma none, or formed of the corroded matrix. Peri^Aem covered, simple, 



aggregated, arranged in a circle, more or less decumbent. Necks of the perithecia elongated, 



united, and perforating the epidermis, at length free. No conceptaculum or heterogeneous 



disk. 



Section IV. Epiphebic^. — Perithecia naked, destitute of a neck, collected upon a stroma (which is 



often spurious) at first covered by the matrix. 



Div. 13. C^ESPiTOSiE. — Stroma rounded, determinate, convex. Perithecia superficial, simple, free, 

 without elongated necks. 



Div. 14. Confluentes. — Stroma thin rounded or efibsed, indeterminate, innate, arising principally 

 from the confluence of the perithecia. Perithecia simple, connate, at first innate, then erum- 

 pent. 



Div. 15. Seriate. — Stroma thin, effused, indeterminate, formed from the corroded parenchyma of 

 the matrix, sometimes altogether wanting. Perithecia seated on the stroma, covered at first 

 with the adnate epidermis, at length almost naked, disposed in parallel rows, often connate ; 

 ostiola short. 



Div. 16. CoNFERTiE. — Stroma when present effused, formed from the parenchyma of the leaf, more 

 often wanting. Perithecia aggregate, nestling under the epidermis of dead or dying leaves. 



In the ' Summa Vegetabilium Scanclinaviae,' the Splmnm included in the above divisions 

 are thl•o^vn into distinct genera, the main cliaracters of which, such of them at least as 

 include the plants to which this paper relates, are given in that work as foUows : — 



1. CoRDYCEPS. — Stroma vertical, clavate or capitate, fleshy; perithecia pale-coloured; sporidia very 

 ' numerous, arranged in moniUform rows. 



2. Xylaria. — Stroma vertical, clavate, between fleshy and corky, or leathery ; perithecia horny, black, 



at first immersed in the stroma. Sporidia eight in an ascus, usually uniseptate*. 



* This last character is by no means to be relied on ; the sporidia are very frequently not septate. They have 

 sometimes two nuclei, and when these latter are large and close to one another, there may be an appearance of a 

 septum where none really exists. 



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