SPHiEROPHOREJE. 



the cortical layer. The torus, which arises from the 

 summit of the medullary layer and projects into the centre 

 of the sporangium, is composed of roundish cells densely 

 packed together, of a brown colour (fig. c). The scobiform 

 substance appears to consist of the discharged sporidia 

 massed together, from some of which the granular 

 contents or ultimate spores have escaped, and become 

 adherent to the surface of the perfect or unruptured 

 ones. This granular substance may be removed by 

 gently and carefully rubbing the mass between the glass 

 plates of the compressorium under the microscope, 

 when the sporidia, or rather their membranous cover- 

 ings, appear underneath of a pale liyahne aspect (fig. d). 

 The form of the sporidia may be clearly traced from 

 those still contained in the asci, through those arrived at 

 mature growth, in both of which states they appear of 

 a beautiful indigo-blue colour (fig. e), to their aged state 

 when the granular contents are discharged, altering their 

 form by its adherence to their exterior, and rendering 

 them in appearance rugged, black, and opaque. I have 

 not ascertained that the asci are open at their free ex- 

 tremity as Montague asserts to be the case, but they may 

 be so in a mature stage of growth : those which I have 

 observed are rounded at the extremity, and I believe 

 closed, containing about 8 sporidia. 



1. Sph^rophoron coralloides. Turn, and Borr. Apo- 

 thecia erect, spherical ; sporidia oblong. Tur7i, and 

 Borr, Lich. Brit. 110, (1813.) IIooL Br. Fl., 

 ii, 232. 



a. Laxum, T, and B. Thallus loose, irregularly di- 

 vided. Plate I. fig. 1. 



Lichen globiferus, Linn. Mant. 133. (1767.) 



Sm. E. Bot. 115. 



Ach. Prodr. 210. 



SpHyEROPHOKUS CORALLOIDES, Pers. in Ust. Aun. st. 7. 23. (1794.) 



