SPOROCHNAOE.E. 



[ 727 ] 



SPUMARIA. 



genus of Toriilacei (Coniomycetous Fungi), 

 containing one species, S. mirabile, forming 

 a black velvety stratum on rotten beech 

 wood. See TORULACEI. 



SPOROCHJS T A'CE^E A family of Fu- 

 coidea?. Olive-coloured, inarticulate sea- 

 weeds, whose unilocular and septate spo- 

 ranges are attached to external jointed 

 filaments, which are either free or compacted 

 together into knob-like or warty masses. 



Synopsis of British Genera. 



* Sporanaes attached to pencilled filaments 

 is*n ing from the branches (Arthrocla- 

 dieae). 



Desmarestia. Frond solid or flat, di- 

 chotomously branched. 



Artkrocladia. Frond traversed by a jointed 

 tube, filiform, nodose. 



Xtihphora. Frond filiform, tubular or 

 solid, branched ; sporanges arising from 

 necklace-shaped filaments collected in wart- 

 like groups upon the frond. 



** Sporanges produced in knob-like receptacles 

 composed of whorled filaments compacted 

 together (Sporochneae). 



Sporochnus. Receptacles lateral, on short 

 peduncles. 



Carponntra. Receptacles terminal, at the 

 tips of the branches. 



SPOROCH'NUS, Ag. A genus of Spo- 

 rochnaceae (Fucoid Algae), containing one 

 British species, S.pedunculatus (PI. 4. fig. 1), 

 having a filiform, solid, cellular main axis 



(containing a central cord of dense tissue), ' 

 bearing long slender branches arranged in a 

 somewhat pinnate manner and clothed at 

 intervals with elliptical fertile ramules, con- I 

 sisting of an axis densely covered with whorl- 

 ed horizontal branching filaments bearing 

 ovoid sporanges, and terminating in a decid- 

 uous pencil of byssoid filaments. Main stem 

 6 to 8" long, olive-brown, changing to yel- 

 low-green on exposure. 



BIBL. Harvey, Mar. Alg. 25, pi. 5 A ; Gre- 

 ville, Alg. Br. pi. 6 ; Thuret, Ann. Sc. Nat. 

 3. xiv. 238. 



SPOROC'YBE, Fries. A genus of De- 

 matiei (Hyphomycetous Fungi), growing j 

 on dead sticks, decaying stems, &c., forming ' 

 usually a blackish stratum. Several British i 

 species are recorded. They have a rigid, 

 septate, simple or branched peduncle, ending | 

 with a capitate head clothed with spores 

 (figs. 691, 692). This genus is synony- 

 mous with Periconia, Corda. Periconia, 

 Tode, is an obscure form. 



Fig. 691. 



1 



Fig. 692. 



Sporocybe bulbosa. 



Fig. 691. Stratum upon a stick. Nat. size. 

 Pig. 692. Two fertile peduncles, crowned with heads 

 of spores. Magnified 100 diameters. 



BIBL. Berk. Br. Flor. ii. pt. 2. 333 ; Ann. 

 N. H. vi. 433, pi. 13 ; Fries, Sum. Veget. 

 467 ; Syst. My col. iii. 340. 



SPOROT'RICHUM, Link. A genus of 

 Mucedines (Hyphomycetous Fungi), grow- 

 ing on decaying vegetable substances, dung, 

 &c. The ibrms referable to this genus, 

 according to the character, include a very 

 heterogeneous assemblage ; indeed the cha- 

 racter which omits the nature of the original 

 attachment of the spores, is worth nothing. 

 Fries has separated a genus TBICHOSPO- 

 BIUM, including a number of species with 

 distinctly acrogeiious spores ; this includes 

 S. niyrum and S. geochroum of the Brit. 

 Flora. The remainder are placed by him 

 among the Sepedoniei, under Sporotrichum 

 and another genus which he calls Physo- 

 spora. These genera are very obscurely 

 known, much resembling mycelia with de- 

 tached conidia scattered on them. 



BIBL. Berk. Br. .Ffor.ii.pt. 2. 346; Fries, 

 Sum. Veg. 492, 495, 521; Greville, Crypt. 

 Flor. pi. 108. figs, 1, 2. 



SPUMAHIA, Pers. A genus of Myxo- 

 mycetes, the peridia of which are divided 

 internally into chambers by ascending folds, 

 and in S. alba are either sessile and pass above 

 into torn white laminae, or are stipitate and 

 divided, and form corniculate peridiolea 

 bursting above ; the latter is probably the 

 perfect form. The whole plant looks at 

 first like white froth ; it grows on grasses 

 &c., generally at a little height from the 

 ground. 



BIBL, Berk. Br. Fl. ii. pt. 2. 309 ; Gre- 

 ville, Crypt. Fl. pi. 267; Sowerby, Fungi 



