Observations on Camarosporium Abietis n. sp. 149 



ordinary hyphae in much the same way. In this culture medium 

 fructifications are produced which bear spores similar to those 

 typical of the species. 



On reference to Plate III, fig. 3 it will be noticed that there is 

 a mass of pseudoparenchyma at the bsise of the fructification, 

 undifferentiated laterally, which is not utiHsed in spore forma- 

 tion; this opens up the question whether or not this pseudo- 

 parench}Tna is to be considered as a stroma. 



Allescher(i) and Saccardoo) both describe the genus Camaro- 

 sporium as non-stromatic but both make mention of several 

 species in which a definite stroma is present, e.g. AUescher 

 (p. 281) with regard tg C.fissum states: " Fruchtgehause . . .von 

 pseudoparench^rTuatischem, lederartig-weichem Gewebe, .... 

 mit der Basis einer dunkelbraunen, unter der Rinde sich weit 

 verbreiten Unterlage aufsitzend, welch letztere auch zwischen 

 den nicht zusammenfliessenden Fruchtgehausen ein weiches, 

 netzartiges Geflecht bildet," and Saccardo with regard to 

 C. Visci (p. 463) says " Peritheciis liberis, caespitosis, in stromate 

 spurio dense dispositis, majusculis," and again \\ith respect to 

 C. Berkeleyanum (p. 464): "Peritheciis caespitosis. . . .stromate 

 corticaH effuso atro maculaeformi insidentibus." Potebnia(2) 

 also in his description of C. Elaeagni states that "die 

 benachbarten Fruchtgehause sind manchmal mit stromaartigem, 

 sich verflechtendem MyceUum verbunden." 



Judging from the foregoing descriptions and those of several 

 other species it is e\'ident that there is considerable variation 

 in the structure of the fructification. An examination was there- 

 fore made of nine species of Camarosporium and the extent of 

 the stroma-Kke base investigated. These species could be roughly 

 grouped as follows : 



(i) Those in which the fructifications arise from hyphae 

 which retain their indi\'iduahty, are few in number and loosely- 

 aggregated. Three species were included here of which C. aequi- 

 vocum (Pass.) Sacc. may be taken as an example. 



(2) Those in which the fructifications arise from a layer of 

 more closely compacted h\-phae. Only C. Lahurni Sacc. is 

 included here. 



(3) Those possessing a definite cushion-hke layer of closely 

 compacted h^-phae on which more than one fructification fre- 

 quently arises. Five species are placed here of which C. Coro- 

 nillae var. Colideae Sacc. may be taiken as an example. The species 

 at present under investigation would also be included in this 

 group. 



Amongst the species of Camarosporium, therefore, there is 

 evidently a transition from those in which there is no sign of 

 any stroma-like base to those which would commonly be des- 

 cribed as definitelv stromatic. If, however, a definite stroma is 



