The Literature on the Classification of the Hysteriales. 179 
as ‘‘Fungus labiatus sessilis per labia distenta semen nudum 
superficiale ejaculans” with the species H. quadrilabiatum. He 
gave this the common name “ Venusschwamme.” No previously 
described similar species were mentioned. In 1790(z3, p. 8) Acro- 
spermum compressum and two other new species were described 
and (p. 30) Hysterium bilabiatum. In 1791 (+4, pp.v, vi, 3-5) he ex- 
plained that H. guadrilabiatum proved to be, on further study, 
a weathered or altered Sphaeria, and he was uncertain about 
fH. bilabiatum, so he re-described the genus as “‘ Fungus oblongo- 
acuminatus, cavus, sessilis, linea transversali superne findendus, 
seminibus globoso-ecaudatis, discum obducentibus” and ob- 
served “medium hoc genus inter Pezizas & Lichenes.’’ He 
referred to Lichen scriptus L. and to Wiggers and Hoffman. 
Three new species were described and figured. The genus 
Hysterium is usually stated to date from this revised description 
of it in 1791. 
Bolton (15, p. 124, fig. exxiv) described Sphaeria sulcata, giving 
Lightfoot’s variety 8 as a synonym, and observed that “This 
is a small, black, oblong tubercle, the size of a small flea; it is 
prominent, and has a deep furrow along the back, from end to 
end, by which it seems as if cloven. in two, but the ends are 
joined together at the base....The plant under the double 
magnifier appeared like a bivalve shell, when closed and seen 
in front...on twigs and branches of ash trees, when in decay.”’ 
He gave good figures of the external appearance of the fungus. 
Acharius (16, p. 20) in 1798 described Lichen alneus on the bark 
of old Betula and Alnus, and L. elatinum, both of which sub- 
sequent authors considered to be Hysteriales. Under Lichen 
scriptus he listed a total of twenty-nine author citations. These 
included, in addition to certain authors noted above, those who 
had compiled Floras and included this name. In 1810 (17, p. 265) 
Acharius changed the name to Graphis scripta. In 1814 (18) he 
described several species of Opegrapha, which were later trans- 
ferred to species of Hysteriales. 
Persoon (19, p. 83) listed Hysterium nigrum Tode, Variolaria 
corrugata Bull. and Lycoperdon vulvatum Latourette as synonyms 
of his Hysterium quercinum, and included, without synonyms, 
three other new species of Hysterium. In Synopsis methodica 
fungorum (20, p. xii, 98, etc.) he included Hysterium with Sphaeria, 
etc., in his order Sclerocarpi of the class Angiocarpi. Hysterium 
is described briefly as “perithecium oblongum, rima longitu- 
dinali dehiscens,” and nineteen species are given. Lichen 
scriptus B pulicaris Lightf. and ‘‘Mich. Nov. gen. pl. t. 50, f.2” 
are given as synonyms for H. pulicare, Sphaeria sulcata Bolt. 
for H. Fraxini, and the synonyms given above for H. quercinum, 
except that Latourette’s species is omitted. (Latourette had 
I2—2 
