240 
Stroma orbicular to subelliptical, } to 1 cm. across, or elongated 1-4x3- 
1 cm. or by confluence extending for long distances in grooves of the bark. 
It forms a thin carbonaceous crust, black, arising beneath the epidermis 
but soon becoming bare, surface even, faintly punctulate from the minute 
ostiola, which are not prominent but slightly depressed, the opening at first 
filled with a white farinaceous matter. Perithecia ovate-globose, small 
(less than one-half mm. across), arranged in a single row. Spore-bearing 
part of the ascus 40-50x4 microns (E. & E. 25x83 microns), or with the base 
about 60-80 microns long (Sacc. 37-50x4-5. E. & E. 45-50 long). Spores 
uniseriate, ends mostly slightly overlapping, elliptical, inequilateral, pale 
brown, 5-74x24-3 microns (E. & E. 43-5x2-23. Sace. 5-6x33-4). 
Should not be confused with Hypoxylon Sassafras which has very 
prominent perithecia while N.microplaca appears smooth and has stroma 
depressed. 
Abundant near Bloomington, Indiana, on Sassafras officinale; ”™2- 
ported on the same host in South Carolina (Ravenel) and in Ohio (Mor- 
gan and Kellerman); on Persea, Georgia (Ravenel). 
5. Nummularia tinctor, (Berk.) I. & E. Plate IV, Figs. 1-5. 
Sphaeria tinctor, Berk. Lond. Jour. Bot. IV, p. 511. 
Hypoxylon tinctor, Cke. Syn. 996. 
Diatrype?? tinctor, (Berk.) Sace. Syll. I, 200. 
Iexsic., E. & BE. N. A. Fungi, Second Ser. 1789. 
Stroma very hard and brittle, much effused, showing the irregularities 
of the surface on which it grows, 1mm. thick, black, with surface almost 
smooth, but distinctly papillose from the projecting ostiola as seen under 
the hand-lens, wood beneath the stroma stained a beautiful reddish-orange 
color, and rendered very hard. Perithecia monostichous, crowded, elon- 
gated ({ mm. in length), covered above with the stromatic layer. Asci 
100-140x6-10 microns (I. & FE. 112x7-8). Spore-bearing part of ascus 75- 
120 long (BB. & E. 90-100). Filiform paraphyses in abundance. Spores 
uniseriate, pale brown, conspicuously uniguttulate, oblong navicular, 13- 
20x5-8 microns (E. & I. 15x6). 
On Platanus, Fagus, Acer, Ulmus and Cercis in the vicinity of Bloom- 
ington, Indiana (Van Hook). Occurs throughout the Mississippi valley 
and in the south as far east as Florida. 
