422 



A. closterium, (B. & C.) 



SphcEria closterium, B. & C. Grev. IV, p. 147, 

 Anthostoma closterium, Cke. Syn. 4198. 

 Anthostomella closterium, Sacc. Syll. 1067. 



Minute, bursting through the cuticle which at first is closed, black 

 and shining. Asci lanceolate. Sporidia elliptical in the center, with 

 a long, attenuated, curved appendage at each end, 50 p long. Some- 

 times the elliptical part is divided into two elliptical joints. 



On Spircea opulifolia, mountains of New York. 



A. Cacti, (Sehw.) 



Spharia Cacti, Schw. Syn. Car. 227. 

 Anthostomella Cacti, Sacc. Syll. IX, p. 512. 



Perithecia gregarious, erumpent, subastomous, shining black, 

 minute, mostly on round, yellowish-brown spots 3-4 mm. diam., with 

 a definite, slightly raised border, and often confluent. Asci elavate- 

 cylindrical, 40 x 10 // (p. sp.), with a short, slender, pedicellate base. 

 Paraphyses not seen. Sporidia biseriate, elliptical or obovate-ellip- 

 tical, opake with a light-colored band (pseudo-septum) across the mid- 

 dle, the lower end subhyaline (and slightly appendieulate ?), 12-15 

 x4-4i /W . 



On Opuntia Engelmanni, Los Angeles, Cala. (Scribner). 



FAMILY. VALSEJL 



Ascigerous stroma effused (diatrypoid), or subglobose, conical, or 

 pulvinate (valsoid); often obscurely defined, or only indicated by a 

 black, circumscribing line penetrating more or less deeply. Perithecia 

 buried in the stroma, collected in groups or effused. 



The ascigerous stromata are often preceded or accompanied by 

 spermogonia producing sporules (mostly minute) borne on basidia 

 which line the inner surface of the spermogonial cavity. The spermo- 

 gonia accompanying the perithecia in the effused form of the ascigerous 

 stroma, are generally simple, i. e. having the spermatiiferous cavity un- 

 divided, and generally pierced above with a single pore, but in the 

 valsoid form of stroma, the cavity of the spermogonium is mostly 

 divided into several cells or chambers stellately arranged, and inclosed 

 by thin walls, or partitions extending in from the circumference 

 towards the center, all these cells opening above through a single pore, 

 or sometimes through several pores. The perithecia are either formed 

 in the substratum beneath the spermogonia, or quite as often lie in n 

 circle around it. 



