670 



Stromata erect, tufted, connate below, thick, dark-brown, leprose- 

 velutinous, becoming glabrous, round and simple, gradually attenuated 

 above, rarely obtuse or 2-3-dichotomously divided, rarely more or less 

 compressed and forked, covered at first with the white conidial hymen- 

 ium. Conidia obovate-subglobose, very small; fertile head occupy- 

 ing the middle of the stroma, attenuated below into a short stipe and 

 ending above in a sterile apex. Perithecia numerous, densely crowded, 

 slightly prominent, with papilliform ostiola. Asci cylindrical, long- 

 pedicellate, 8-spored, p. sp. 100-120x7 p. Sporidia overlapping- 

 uniseriate, navicular-fusoid, subobtuse and slightly curved, dark brown, 

 12-16x5-6 a. 



On rotten wood, New York (Peck), Ohio (Morgan), Carolina 

 (Ravenel), Texas (Lindheimer). 



All the specc. we have seen have the fertile stroma distinctly com- 

 pressed, and sporidia shorter than the measurements (18-20x5-6 fi) 

 given for the European specc. 



*** Stroma filiform. 



X. filiformis, (A. & S.) 



Sphceria filiformis, A. & S. Conspect. p. 2, tab. Ill, fig. 5. 

 Xylaria filiformis, Fr. Summa Veg. Scand. p. 382. 

 Exsicc. Rab. F. F. 57, 917 Ell. N. A. F. 163. Ell. & Fvrht. N. A. F. 2d Ser. 1948. 

 Roum. F. G. 2091. Sydow, M. March. 2242. Rav. Fungi Car. II, 55. 



Stromata scattered, erect, filiform, 2-3 inches high, and in the 

 fertile part about 1 mm. thick, at first reddish (rose-colored) at the 

 elongated, sterile apex, fertile head shorter than the stipe, roughened 

 by the strongly prominent, globose, \ mm. diam. perithecia which are 

 almost superficial. Asci cylindrical, 80-100 /i long, p. sp. 70-75 n 

 long, Sporidia 1-2-seriate, 2-nucleate, fusoid, subinequilateral, olive- 

 brown, 14-18 x 3-3J jjl (13-14 x 5-6 /i, Winter). 



On decaying leaves of Magnolia glauca, Newfield, N. J., on 

 decaying leaves, South Carolina (Ravenel), New York (Peck). 



The stroma is often entirely sterile, appearing then like a black 

 rhizomorphoid thread. 



X. subterranea, (Schw.) (Plate 39) 



Sphceria subterranea, Schw. Syn. N. Am. 1162. 

 Xylaria subterranea, Sacc. Syll. 1281. 

 Exsicc. EU. N. A. F. 771. 



Filiform, simple or branching from the base or (the sterile part) 

 anastomosely branched, attached to the matrix by a thin, felt-like 

 subiculum; stems 3 inches to nearly a foot long, hardly more than 

 2 mm. thick, light-colored at first from the conidial layer, then black, 



