150 Transactions British Mycological Society. 



considered to be present in these latter species the question 

 arises whether they are rightly placed in the genus Camaro- 

 sporium, which, as has already been pointed out, is non- 

 stromatic. The genus Dichomera has similar spore characters 

 but possesses numerous fructifications embedded in a stroma 

 which is described as resembHng that of Dothidea. 



The facts that a species of Camarosporium has been given 

 the name C. dichomeroides and that another species at first 

 included in Dichomera has now been placed in Camarosporium, 

 may be taken to show that there is considerable resemblance 

 between the two genera. In this connection Potebnia's(2) 

 remarks are of interest. The fungus he investigated is definitely 

 stromatic, but since it does not possess a number of fructifica- 

 tions embedded in the stroma he distinguishes it from Dichomera 

 Elaeagni which had already been described by Karsten, and 

 made it a new species which he named Camarosporium Elaeagni. 

 It is thus clear that the genus Dichomera cannot be distinguished 

 from the genus Camarosporium by the mere possession of a 

 stroma; the distinguishing feature is that the former genus 

 possesses a number of fructifications on the stroma whereas the 

 genus Camarosporium does not. 



The species under investigation must therefore be assigned to 

 Camarosporium in spite of the fact that it possesses a stroma 

 and, since it appears to differ clearly from any fungus hitherto 

 described, we propose to describe it as a new species under the 

 name of Camarosporium Abietis *. It is clearly distinct from 

 the few species which have already been described on conifers. 



There are few, if any, parasitic species of Camarosporium 

 recorded and since none of these occurs on conifers it would 

 be of interest should C. Abietis prove to be parasitic. In far 

 the greater number of instances the fungus was found growing 

 upon dead tissue either in the nature of dead bark and cortical 

 cells or on completely dead lateral branches. In one or two 

 instances, however, it was found infecting current-year shoots, 

 destitute of leaves, which were terminal to still living leaf- 

 bearing twigs. The question therefore naturally arises as to 

 whether defoliation follows infection of the shoot, or infection 

 follows the death of the shoot, the latter being more or less 

 accurately recorded by leaf-fall. 



The needles of Abies Lowiana seem to remain on the tree 

 for some three or four years, or at any rate this figure holds 



* Camarosporium Abietis, n. sp. 



Peritheciis erumpentibus et prominentibus, gregariis, nigris, laevibus, glo- 

 boso-hemisphaericis vel breve cylindricis, '5-1 mm. diam., ostiolo nullo; sporidiis 

 brunneis, dilute coloratis, muriformibus, non constrictis, 30-60 x 10-17 n; septis 

 transversis 2-10 (plerumque 5-8), septis longitudinalibus circ. 3; sporophoris 

 bacillaribus, articulatis, hyalinis, sporulam subaequantibus. 



Hab. : Scotia, prope Edinburgh; in ramis Abietis Lowianae. 



