SPlIyEHOPHOREit:. 



Tribe I. SPII^ROPHOREiE, Fries. 



Apotlieciuni formed of the swollen extremities of the 

 tlialliis, closed, at length irregularly lacerated and dehis- 

 cing. Nucleus subglobose, cleaving or separating with 

 the asci. Thallus vertical, shrubby. 



Genus 1. Sph^rophoron, Ack, 



Apothecium terminal, sphaerical, the thallodal receptacle 

 closed, lacero-dehiscent. Nucleus globose, internally 

 floccoso-cartilaginous, the discharged sporidia (black) 

 crowded on the circumference. Thallus vertical, shrubby, 

 externally crustaceo-cartilaginous, internally solid stupose. 



Dr. Camille Montague first ascertained the structure 

 of the apothecium of the genus Sphasrophoron. His obser- 

 vations are published in * Ann. des Sc. Nat.' N.S. xv. 

 147, and an abridged extract therefrom appears in the 

 * Annals and Mag. Nat. Hist.' x. 207. He states that 

 *' the apothecium of Sphaerophoron is at first only a simple 

 ellipsoid swelling of the extremity of a branch. If at this 

 period this be divided longitudinally, the cavity occupied 

 by the nucleus is observed to have a sigmoid form. This 

 is owing to a hemispherical projection of the medullary 

 or central layer of the thallus, representing a sort of torus, 

 from all points of which the sporidigerous tubes or thecae 

 diverge. Already is the upper part of the sporangium 

 filled with that scobiform substance altogether different 

 from the sporidia, and of a beautiful indigo-blue by trans- 

 mitted light, but of an opaque black efi masse, which finally 

 tinges the thecae and sporidia of a similar but less deep 

 tint. The cavity gradually enlarges, not only from the 

 swelling of the extremity of the branch, but also from 

 the shrinking of the interior projection formed by the 

 medullary layer of the thallus. 



