320 MR. F. CURREY ON THE FRUCTIFICATION OF SIMPLE SPH^ERIvE. 



269. S. CAUDATA, n. s. Tab. LVIII. fig. 50, ascus with sporidia, X 220. Sporidia bi- 

 seriate, consisting of a pointed subelliptical brown head, and an elongated colourless 

 tail ; length of the sporidia (including the tail) 0-002 inch, of the head alone 0-0008 

 inch. Perithecia small, scattered, or few together, conical or subglobose, with a 

 conical ostiolum. On rotten wood, near Twycross, Leicestershire. This Sphceria, 

 communicated to me by Mr. Bloxam, is very peculiar ra the form of its sporidia. 

 The perithecia are sometimes naked, sometimes almost buried in the soft rotten 

 wood, so that I have had great doubt as to its proper division. Its sporidia resemble 

 those of Fodospora fimicola, Ces., figured in 'Hedwigia,' tab 14. fig. A. 



270. S. coLLABENS, n. s. Tab. LVIII. fig. 51, sporidia, X 325. Sporidia biseriate, fusi- 

 form, swollen or constricted in the middle, with several nuclei, colourless, 0-0014 to 

 0-0016 inch long. Perithecia subglobose, with an impressed ostiolum, but the osti- 

 olum is often furrowed, or rimose. The perithecia and sporidia agree very nearly 

 with those of ^S*. macrotricha, B. & Br., but the perithecia have no hairs. Its habitat 

 is wood, whilst that of S. macrotricha is dried leaves and beech mast. The sporidia 

 also resemble those of S. scabra ; but, besides being smooth, the perithecia of S. col- 

 Jabens are foxir times the size of those of ^S". scabra. 



271. S. CuRBETii, Blox. MSS. I have a Sphceria from Mr. Bloxam under this name, 

 which is possibly the same as the plant last described. In Mr. Bloxam's plant, how- 

 ever, the sporidia rarely, if ever, exceed 0-0010 inch in length, and the contents of 

 the perithecia have a rose-red tinge. In both this and the Sphceria last described, 

 the perithecia with rimose ostiola might easily be mistaken for those of a Systerium. 



•21'2. S. PULViscuLA, n. s. Tab. LVIII. fig. 52, ascus with sporidia, and free sporidia, 

 X 325. Sporidia biseriate, curved or cymbiform, colourless or greenish, when perfect 

 with three septa, or at least with the endochrome divided into four portions, giving 

 an appearance of three septa ; sometimes the endochrome is only once divided, and 

 in a young state the sporidia are continuous. Length of the sporidia variable, from 

 0-0008 to 0-0012 inch. Perithecia very smaU, black, rather shining, conical or sub- 

 globose, crowded or scattered, with a minute mammillate ostiolum. This species is 

 not distinguishable by the naked eye from S. pulvis-pyrius, but its fruit, as wiU be 

 seen, is quite different. 



Div. 20. Pertusje. 



273. S. PERTUSA, Pers. ; Pr. S. M. ii. p. 464. Tab. LVIII. fig. 53, sporidia, X 220. Spo- 

 ridia biseriate, I beUeve; brown, usually 4-septate, broad and curved, 0-0016 to 

 0-002 inch long. The specimens are not in good condition. 



274. S. PiCASTRA, Pr. S. M. ii. p. 463. Tab. LVIII. fig. 54, sporidia, x 220. Sporidia 

 dark brown, multicellular, very irregular in size and shape. I suspect that this plant 

 ought to be placed in the genus Sendersonia* . Some of the sporidia were elongated 

 as into a foot-stalk. There was no trace of asci. 



* Hendersonia, Berk. Peritheciimi carbonaceous, subinnate, emergent, almost mouthless, bursting with a pore 

 or irregvdarly. Nucleus compact, then diffluent ; sporidia erect, elongate, pedicellate, multiseptate. 

 DiPLODiA, Fr. Sporidia clavate, uuiseptate ; otherwise as Hendersonia. 



