CHAPTER XVI. 



FAMILY SPHAERIACEAE. 



Perithecia carbonaceous or membranaceous, sometimes confluent with the 

 stroma, pierced at the apex, and mostly papillate; hymenium diffluent. Berkeley 

 Outlines. 



There are four tribes in this family, viz : 



Nectrisei. 

 Xylarisei. 

 Valsei. 

 Sphaeriei. 



Under Nectriaei we have the following genera : 

 Stipitate 



Clavate or capitate Cordyceps. 



Head globose, base sclerotioid Claviceps. 



Parasitic on grass 



Stroma myceloid . Epichlce. 



Variable 



Sporidia double, finally separating Hypocrea. 



Sporidia double, ejected in tendrils, parasitic on fungi Hypomyces. 



Stroma definite, perithecia free, clustered or scattered . . . Nectria. 



Perthecia erect, in a polished and colored sac Oomyces. 



Under Xylarisei we have : 

 Stipitate 



Stroma corky, subclavate Xylaria. 



Stroma somewhat corky, discoid Poronia. 



Cordyceps. Fr. 



Gordyceps is from a Greek word meaning a club and a Latin word meaning 

 a head. It is a genus of Pyrenomycetous fungi of which a few grow upon other 

 fungi, but by far the greater number are parasitic upon insects or their larva, as 

 will be seen in Figure 491. 



The spores enter the breathing openings along the sides of the larva and the 

 mycelium grows until it fills the interior of the larva and kills it. 



(573) 



