264 MR. F. CURREY ON THE FRUCTIFICATION OF COMPOUND SPH^ERI^. 



16. S. (Xtlaria) hypoxtlon, Linn. ; Fr. S. M. p. 327. Tab. XLV. fig. 17, ascus and 

 sporidia, X 325. Sporidia uniseriate, dark brown, elliptico-acuminate, but often 

 subcynibiform, 0-0004 inch long, usually with two nuclei, sometimes with one. 



17. S. (Xylaria) microceras, Mont. Tab. XLV. fig. 18, ascus with sporidia, X 326. 

 Sporidia uniseriate, brown, elliptical, rather irregular, 0-0004 inch long. 



18. S. (Xtlaria) multiplex, Kze. Linn. vol. v. p. 536. Tab. XLV. fig. 19, ascus with 

 sporidia, X 325. Sporidia uniseriate, dark brown, plano-convex or u-regular elliptical 

 0-0004 inch long. 



19. S. (Xtlaria) corniformis, Mont. Tab. XLV. fig. 20, ascus with sporidia, x 325. 

 This plant is marked in Hook. Herb. " Sypoxijlon corniforme, an Sphceria corniformis, 

 Pr." The sporidia are viniseriate, almond-shaped, double- or plano-convex, rather dark 

 brown, 0-0004 inch long. In fig. 21 I have drawn an ascus with sporidia ( x 325) of 

 S. corniformis, Er. The sporidia are considerably larger than the above, and are 

 fm-nished with one or two nuclei in each. There are many species, however, in which 

 the size of the sporidia varies even to as great an extent as is shown in the difference 

 between figs. 20 and 21 ; and the existence or non-existence of nuclei depends upon 

 age and other circumstances to such an extent that they afford no safe characteristic. 

 I think S. corniformis, Fr. and Sypoxylon corniforme, Mont., must be the same. Mr. 

 Berkeley thinks they may possibly be distinct, the former being European, the latter 

 tropical. Dr. Montague's plant is rather a Xylaria than a Sypoxylon. 



20. S. (Xtlaria) ianthino-velutina, Mont. Syll. p. 204. Tab. XLV. fig. 22, sporidia, 



X 225. Sporidia uniseriate (I think, but there were no perfect asci), brown, irregularly 

 abnond-shaped or pyriform, 0-0005 long. The perithecia are rather larger, with vel- 

 vety hair between them. 



21. S. (Xtlaria) carpophila, Pers. ; Pr. S. M. ii. p. 328. Tab. XLV. fig. 23, ascus with 



sporidia, X 325. Sporidia uniseriate, clear, light brown, elliptical or slightly reni- 

 form, with one or two nuclei, 0-0004 inch long. 



22. S. (CoRDTCEPs) ALTTTACEA, Pers. The fructification of this plant is not distinguish- 



able from that of S. rvfa (see post). It is a Cordyceps with the fructification of 

 Sypocrea. 



23. S. (Hypoxtlon) sagr^ana, Mont. Tab. XLV. fig. 24, sporidia, x 450, Sporidia 



obtusely elliptical, sometimes slightly incurved in the middle, clear (rather dark) 

 bro'rni, obtuse or almost square at the ends, 0-0004 inch long. 



24. S. (CoRDTCEPs) PURPUREA, Pr. Tab. XLV. fig. 25 a, ascus with sporidia, X 325; b, 



free sporidia more highly magnified. Sporidia colom-less, filiform, attenuated at each 

 end, variable in length, 0-002 to 0-003 long, or even more. It is difiicult to count the 

 sporidia, but I shovdd guess them at eight ; I found them always entirely filling the 

 ascus, which is very long and narrow, and in my specimens not so clavate as the 

 figures in the Micrographic Dictionary, which are reduced from Tulasne's figures in 

 the 'Ann. des Sciences.' — This and the following plant are placed in a distmct genus 

 {Claoiceps) by Tidasne. They differ altogether in fructification from the monilifonn 

 fruit of Cordyceps. 

 25. S. (CoRDTCEPs) microcephala, Tul. The fruit in my specimens differs in no respect 



