138 CRYPTOGAMIA FUNGI. 



often dimpled in the centre, very hard, corneous within. SPHENG. 

 Syst. Veg. iv. 522. S. quercinum, GREV. Crypt F 7. t. 77. Fl. Edm. 

 462. 



Hob. On a skeleton leaf of the balsam poplar. 



I prefer the name of DECANDOLLE and SPRENGEL to that 

 of GREVILLE, as the latter would lead us to suppose that 

 the species was confined to the leaves of the oak. I have 

 only found it once, but there are many specimens on the 

 leaf, all, however, of a smaller size than those figured in 

 the work quoted. Diameter about a line. 



4. S. clavus, dull black, elongate, cylindrical, generally a little 

 curved; internally white. DECAND. Fl Franc, vi. 115. 



Hob. Between the glumes of grasses, occupying the place 

 of the grain. 



Great doubts have been entertained relative to the nature of 

 this production, but I think, with DECANDOLLE, that if 

 the two preceding are allowed a place in the vegetable 

 kingdom, this cannot with propriety be excluded. It has 

 been detected in this neighbourhood on the sweet vernal- 

 grass, the sweet floating-grass, and on the fieri};. When it 

 attacks rye, which is peculiarly subject to the disease, the 

 corn is s?id to be spurred ; and this diseased grain is an 

 active poioon of a very peculiar kind. If gradually intro* 

 duced into the system, as when mixed with the flour of 

 rye-bread, it occasions a severe disease which has often pre- 

 vailed epidemically in different territories on the continent. 

 The affection produced differs much in different epidemics, 

 and even in different cases of the same epidemic. Two 

 distinct set of symptoms have been noticed; the one con- 

 stituting a nervous disease, characterized by violent spas- 

 modic convulsions; the other being a depraved state of 

 the constitution which ends in that remarkable disorder 

 known by the name of dry gangrene. The poison posses- 

 ses other singular properties, and the physician availing 

 himself of it, can produce effects in the human constitution 

 such as he can produce by no other medicine yet discover- 

 ed ; a fact of which my own experience has afforded suf- 

 ficient evidence, For an interesting history of what is 

 known relative to the spurred rye, the medical reader is 

 referred to Dr CHRISTISON'S learned and useful work on 

 poisons. 



5. S. muscorum, gregarious, spongy, rounded but very unequal 



