346 



would remark, tliat those portions which are produced on the root of 

 Monotropa itself, under ordinary circumstances, labour rather to main- 

 tain their connexion with it than to unite with other substances : and 

 would refer to their structure as one not at all supporting his idea. 



In conclusion, I would urge upon Mr. Luxford the more thorough 

 examination of specimens from the locality where " the slowly decay- 

 ing leaves of the heech " in the neighbourhood of Monotropa, " are 

 generally covered with a white byssoid fungus." That such is their 

 nature not the slightest doubt now remains in my mind ; I regard them 

 as an interesting addition to our Cryptogamic vegetation, and hope 

 that the following attempt to assign them " a local habitation and a 

 name " among their fellows, undertaken as it has been at the express 

 desire of several parties, will not be deemed an impropriety. 



In proceeding with this portion of the subject I felt that there was 

 no small difficulty to be overcome, not only on account of the intri- 

 cate nature of the order, but from the fact that our knowledge of my- 

 cological productions generally, is so exceedingly imperfect. So 

 great however was my desire lastingly to associate with the discovery 

 the names of those gentlemen who originated or have assisted in it, 

 that I applied to the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, enclosing him specimens 

 and sketches. To his kind attention and assistance I am indebted 

 for a knowledge of the genera Zygodesmus and Tubm-cinia, and se- 

 veral other particulars, without which I could not have approximated 

 so nearly to the truth. 



Epiphagos Luxfordii, (Ryl. MSS.) Fig. 1 , c, d, e. 



This I have applied as a provisional name to No. 1 — the species 

 observed by Mr. Luxford on beech-leaves and Monotropa. There is 

 much reason to believe it an undescribed genus, probably a byssoid 

 Alga ; but owing to the total absence of fi-uctification its position can- 

 not be positively determined. It is to be hoped that at some future 

 period Mr. Luxford will be fortunate enough to meet with fertile spe- 

 cimens. 



No. 2, Mr. Berkeley informs me, is certainly a Zygodesmus (a genus 

 of Corda, characterized as follows) : — 



Tribe. — Mucedines, 

 Zygodesmus. Flocci creeping, brancliecl, entangled, septate or suddenly staple- 

 bent so as to form a geniculus (" geniculati-contracti "),* and afterwards paired by 



* There appears to have been some mistake in the application of this phrase, at 

 least as regards the species now described, though Mr. Berkeley's sketch of it exhibits 



