114 Transactions British Mycological Soctety. 
perithecia on the old synnemata. The distinguishing character 
of Corallomyces is the possession of a branched, filiform stroma, 
resembling that of a Xylaria, but that is based on a mistaken 
interpretation of the type specimen. Von Héhnel places in 
Corallomyces those species of Nectria which have the perithecia 
situated on a stalk-like stroma; in dealing with Nectria aurantu- 
cola, he states (Fragm., No. 729) “Da die Perithecien auf einem 
stielartigen Stroma entstehen ist der Pilz eigentlich ein Corallo- 
myces.’’ But he does not appear to recognise that the stalk- 
like stroma is an old synnema, nor that the occurrence of the 
perithecia in that position is exceptional. 
The Tulasnes employed the name Sphaerostilbe in Selecta 
Carp. Fung. 1, 130 (1861), though they did not publish the 
generic description until 1865, in vol. m1, p. 99. They included 
in the genus (in the following order), species with minute simple 
conidia and a Stilbum conidiophore, viz. Sph. aurantiaca, Sph. 
gracilipes, and Sph. cinnabarina, and species with long lanceo- 
late, septate conidia and a Microcera conidiophore, viz. Sph. 
flammea and Sph. coccophila. Their genus is evidently hetero- 
geneous, as it contains species which differ in their conidial 
stages, and it can be naturally divided into two genera, one with 
simple conidia and the other with lanceolate, septate conidia. 
Corallomyces is prior to Sphaerostilbe. If the generic character 
assigned to the former is accepted, it will be necessary to retain 
both genera, and to transfer species from Sphaerostilbe to 
Corallomyces, when specimens of known species of Sphaerostilbe 
are collected which have developed perithecia on the old 
synnemata. And in that case both Sphaerostilbe and Corallo- 
myces will be heterogeneous, for the latter must contain SpA. 
vepens, with simple conidia, and Sph. flammea, with septate 
conidia, while the former will contain the parallel species, Sph. 
auvantiaca and Sph. coccidophthora. Alternatively, the mis- 
interpreted generic character might be discarded, and all species 
of Sphaerostibe referred to Corallomyces, but Corallomyces would 
still be heterogeneous. 
The most logical course would appear to be to discard the 
false generic character of Corvallomyces, and to include in the 
genus all species which are co-generic with the type specimen, 
Corallomyces elegans. The latter has Nectria perithecia, and a 
stilboid conidial stage with simple conidia, and is co-generic © 
with Sph. repens, Sph. variabilis, Sph. aurantiaca, Sph. gracilipes, 
and Sph. cinnabarina. Corallomyces will then be equivalent to 
the first section of Sphaerostilbe of Tulasne, while the name 
Sphaerostilbe can be retained for those species which have a 
Microcera conidial stage and long septate conidia, viz. Sph. 
flammea, Sph. aurantiicola, and Sph, coccidophthora. 
