porthe sutphiirea, Fckl., which differs only in its somewhat larger 

 sporidia" As regards the color of the sporidia of M. chrysostroma, 

 Tulasne calls them yellow or yellowish-green ("flavis aut luteo-viren- 

 tibus"). 



M. apocrypta, Ell. Am. Nat. Feb., 1883, p. 194. (Plate 35) 



Perithecia subcircinate, J mm. diam., membranaceous, 8-12 buried 

 in the inner bark, without any distinct stroma, entirely concealed by 

 the epidermis, which, without being ruptured, is raised into slight, 

 whitish pustules by the pressure of the short, fasciculate ostiola. Spo- 

 ridia elliptical, 25-30 x 11-13 fi, at first surrounded with a hyaline, 

 gelatinous envelope, and more or less perfectly biseriate in asci 114 x 

 22 ft, but at length becoming brown, uniseptate and uniseriate, in elon- 

 gated asci 120-150x12 /i. 



On dead poplar branches, Decorah, Iowa (Hoi way). 



The conidial stage -is probably Melanconium populinum, Pk. 

 This is closely allied to M. occulta, (Fckl.), but differs in its smaller, 

 brown sporidia. 



M. Deeoraensis, Ell. in Am. Nat. Feb. 1883, p. 195. 



Melanconiella Deeoraensis, Sacc. Syll. 6123. 

 Exsicc. EU. & Evrht. N. A. F. 2d Ser. 1562. 



Perithecia 8-20 in a stroma, angular from pressure, coriaceous, 

 black, circinate, \ mm. diam., subdecumbent, with stout, converging 

 necks, and small, black, obtuse ostiola erumpent in a light-colored, 

 elliptical disk bursting through transverse cracks in the epidermis but 

 scarcely rising above it. Asci cylindrical, briefly stipitate, obscurely 

 paraphysate, p. sp. 95-115 x 10-12 ju. Sporidia uniseriate, elliptical, 

 obtuse, uniseptate and constricted, becoming brown, 12-20 (mostly 

 14-1 6) x 8-1 fi. The accompanying Melanconium has spores (conidia) 

 rather shorter and broader than the sporidia. 



On dead limbs of birch, Decorah, Iowa (Holway). 



Var. major, E. & E. Journ. Mycol. Ill, p. 42, on dead birch 

 limbs, Plainfield, N. J. (Meschutt), has the sporidia larger (18-26 

 x 8-9 //), but does not differ otherwise from the original specimens 

 from Iowa. When well matured, the ostiola in both are distinctly 

 quadrisulcate. Var. subviridis, Pk. 40th Rep. p. 70, on dead bark of 

 Betula populifolia, Ganesvoort, N. Y., has both the disk and the 

 stroma yellowish-green and pulverulent. 



We have not been able to detect any appendages on the sporidia 

 at any stage of growth. Otherwise this could hardly be separated from 

 M. spodiwa, Tub The perithecia are so slightly sunk in the unal- 

 tered substance of the inner bark as to be partially visible through the 

 thin layer that covers them. 





