CONIOMYCETES. 



[ 165 ] 



CONIOPHYTUM. 



surface of the epidermis of the plant infested, 

 or they are formed internally, and are 

 exposed by breaking their way through to 

 the surface of the epidermal structures in 

 which they are imbedded. 



We must not omit, in giving a description 

 of this order as it stands in systematic works, 

 to notice that recent observations go to 

 prove that it rests upon a very insecure 

 basis, and that certain supposed genera 

 belonging to it appear to be merely forms of 

 genera which exhibit at other stages of 

 growth, or even at the same time, asciferous 

 structures which have formed the bases of 

 Ascomycetous genera. These cases are 

 referred to in the introductory notice of the 

 Fungi, and a few of the instances must be 

 mentioned here, and also under the head of 

 the Ascomycetes, as guides to the directions 

 in which much new investigation is requisite. 

 M. Tulasne has found that the forms repre- 

 senting the genera Septoria and Cytispora 

 (Sphaeronemei), are produced in the earlier 

 stages of the growth of species of Sphceria ; 

 that the majority of the Tubercularice are the 

 stromas of species of Sphceria; that some 

 species of Sphceria (S. Laburni) exhibit 

 three forms of spores, namely thecaspores, 

 others like a Sporocadus, and others repre- 

 senting a Cytispora. Dothidea Ribesii has 

 spores like the Xylarice, and others like the 

 Septoriee. Mr. Berkeley has found Asteroma 

 Ulmi a precursor to Dothidea Ulmi, Stilbo- 

 spora macrosperma growing on the same 

 stroma or conceptacle as Sphceria inquinans, 

 &c. Further observations will be found 

 under SPH.ERONEMEI, MELANCONIEI, and 

 other heads there referred to. 



Again, the heterogeneous assemblage of 

 genera collected under the heads of Puc- 

 CINEI and C^EOMACEI (which we associate 

 under the latter title), seem really to be As- 

 comycetous Fungi, and some of the Pucci- 

 neous and Caeomaceous genera to be even 

 merely representatives of dimorphous species. 

 Certain Uredines, for example, being only 

 different stages or forms of certain Puccinice. 

 (See UREDO.) JEcidium, with Rozstelia 

 again, are closely related to those forms 

 scattered between Coniomycetes and Asco- 

 mycetes, which have both asciferous spo- 

 ranges and spermagonia. (See 



Synopsis of the Tribes. 



1. SPH^ERONEMEI. Conceptacles rising 

 from microscopic mycelium growing on the 

 surface of leaves, bark, stems, &c., contain- 

 ing a chamber lined with filaments bearing 



single, often septate spores, and bursting by 

 a pore at the summit to emit the elongated 

 spores, in a gelatinous ball. (Many are 

 spermagon ous form s of Ascomycetous genera. ) 



2. MELANCONIEI. Conceptacles as in 

 the preceding, but bursting irregularly at 

 the summit, and often ultimately wart-like ; 

 spores elongated. (Many are spermagonous 

 forms of Ascomycetous genera.) 



3. PHRAGMOTRICHACE.<E. Conceptacles 

 horny, breaking through the epidermis of 

 leaves, &c., at first closed, afterwards burst- 

 ing longitudinally; spores septate, and in 

 chain-like series, intermixed with paraphyses 

 on the internal walls of the Conceptacles. 



4. TORULACEI. Mycelium filamentous, 

 overgrowing decayed vegetables, bearing 

 erect filaments, terminating in rows of 

 simple or compound spores. 



5. C^EOMACEI. Mycelium a filamen- 

 tous mass growing in the interior of living 

 vegetable structures, finally breaking out on 

 the surface in patches, margined or naked, 

 and bearing simple or compound spores, 

 single or in beaded series. 



BIBL. Berkeley and Broome, Hooker's 

 London Journal of Botany, iii. p. 320 ; 

 Tulasne, Comptes Rendus, March 1851 ; 

 transl. Ann. Nat. Hist. N. S. viii. p. 114; 

 Ann. des Sc. nat. 3 ser. xv. 370; ibid. xx. 129; 

 Botan. Zeit. xi. 49 et seq.', Comptes Rendus, 

 1854 (Ann. Nat. Hist. 2 ser. xiv. 76) ; Fries, 

 Syst. My col. ; De Bary, Brand-pilze, Berlin, 

 1853. 



CONIOPHYTUM, Hassall (Dolichosper- 

 mum, Ralfs). A genus of Nostochaceae 

 (Confervoid Algae), consisting of one species 

 colouring large sheets of water of a deep 

 coppery green, by its minute fronds, each 

 composed of a number of filaments variously 

 curled and interwoven, densely in the centre, 

 and more loosely towards the circumference ; 

 these fronds being free look like a pulveru- 

 lent or granular accumulation in the water, 

 when viewed by the naked eye. This genus 

 differs from its allies in the relative positions 

 of the spermatic and vesicular cells, the 

 former being either next to, or at a distance 

 from the latter. This fact seems to throw 

 some doubt on the value of this character as 

 a distinctive mark. 



Coniophytum (Thompsoni),R&\fs. Fronds 

 minute, visible to the naked eye, granular- 

 pulverulent, filaments brittle, not imbedded 

 in mucoid matter, much curled, and inter- 

 woven, rarely spiral; spermatic cells cylin- 

 drical, somewhat curved or reniform, usually 

 solitary, sometimes in pairs. Dolichosper- 



