FOLIICOLOUS SPHJERLE. 948 
In 8. maculeformis the sporidia are 0075 mm., and in S. oblivia 0125 
mm. long. Inm the former they are straight, in the latter, nearly always, 
strongly curved, in both the lower cell is the narrowest, but in S. oblivia 
one or two small sporules or nuclei are often present in each cell, 
which we do not remember to have noticed in the other species. Un- 
less the larger and strongly curved sporidia can be accepted as of spe- 
cific value, S. oblivia must be regarded as a variety of S. maculeformis, 
for differences in habit in a species which is evidently exceedingly vari- 
able cannot have weight. 
It is only necessary to refer to the figures of S. simulans and S. ar- 
cana to prove, if the fructification is to be accepted as of any specific 
value, that both these are very distinct. 
` With S. punctiformis, Pers., our difficulty was less, inasmuch as only 
one rival claimant came under notice, accepting the S. punctiformis of 
authors, and published specimens generally, as the S. punctiformis of 
Persoon. The features which distinguish 8. punctoidea from S. puncti- 
formis are briefly that S. punctiformis is hypophyllous, and S. punctoidea 
epiphyllous. The former is scattered all over the surface of the leaf, 
the latter occurs only in small detached patches. In S. punctiformis 
the asci are clavate, in S. mos cylindrieal. In the former the 
asci are ‘034 mm., and the sporidia *009 mm. long, and in the latter 
the asci are :056 mm., and the sporidia 0125 mm. in length. To 
this may be added that the sporidia of S. punctiformis are deeper 
coloured, and have granular or nucleated contents, whilst those of 
8. punctoidea are uniformly paler, clearer, and more refractive. A 
these features combined have induced me to propose as a new species 
the S. punctoidea of this communication. 
Of the other additions no observation need be made. 
The adoption of the Ps Venturia for such fungi as Spheria Eres 
and S. Chetomium, needs no apology, since it is almost universally ac- 
cepted by mycologists, and was admitted by Fries in his S. V. S. 
Neither do I think that the substitution of SpAzrella for the Spharie 
Soliicole of Fries, or at least for that portion in which the perithecia 
are not rostrate, will encounter much objection. The exclusion of ros- 
tellate species is certainly not a distinction based on “the character of 
the fruit alone," and appears to us perfectly natural. Moreover, we are 
proposing no novelty, since such an arrangement has long been adopted 
by many mycologists. 
R 2 
