SPILERON.EMEI. 



[ 587 ] 



SPILERON.EMEI. 



from the pore becoming glued together into 

 a firm globule. The species which grow 

 upon the surface of decaying plants are pro- 

 bably only forms belonging to Sphaeriaceous 

 genera. 



BIBL. Berk. Brit. Flor. ii. pt. 2. p. 281; 

 Ann. Nat. Hist. vi. p. 363, ibid. 2nd ser. v. 

 p. 371 ; Fries, Summa Veget. 400. 



SPH^ERON^EMEL A family of minute 

 Coniomycetous Fungi, growing on bark, 

 or more or less dry stems or leaves, charac- 

 terized by the conceptacle ordinarily bursting 

 by a pore or ostiole, or a lid, to extrude, in 

 most cases, a gelatinous ball of filaments 

 mixed with spores. From recent observa- 

 tions it appears that the genera of this order 

 do not consist of complete species, but are 

 forms which occur in combination with As- 

 comycetous forms to complete the whole 

 development of an individual, the Sphaero- 

 naemeous genera constituting the stylospo- 

 rous or conidial fruits of Sphaeriacei, &c., 

 corresponding perhaps to the tetraspores 

 found in the Florideous Algae, which also 

 possess proper spores (see SPH^RIA). 



Synopsis of British Genera. 



I. CONIOTHYRIUM. Conceptacle free, 

 membranous, opening by an irregular pore 

 at the summit ; spores globular. 



II. LEPTOSTROMA. Conceptacle innate, 

 subumbonate in the centre, dimidiate, at 

 length falling off, leaving a very thin disk. 



III. PHOMA. Conceptacle ostiolate, very 

 thin, innate, immersed, rounded, with a 

 simple pore ; spores oblong, simple. 



IV. LEPTOTHYRIUM. Conceptacle oper- 

 culate, innate, shield-shaped, not radiato- 

 fibrous ; spores spindle-shaped, simple. 



V. ACTINOTHYRIUM. Conceptacle oper- 

 culate, innate, shield-shaped, radiato-fibrous ; 

 spores spindle-shaped, simple. 



VI. MICROTHECIUM. Conceptacle inde- 

 hiscent, membranous, immersed, endophytic; 

 spores simple. 



VII. CRYPTOSPORIUM. Conceptacle 

 membranous, opening irregularly at the 

 summit ; spores spindle-shaped, simple. 



VIII. SPH^RON^MA. Conceptacle 

 horny, innate-superficial, more or less pro- 

 duced into a neck, ostiole simple; spores 

 oblong, simple. 



IX. ACROSPERMUM. Conceptacle lea- 

 thery externally, fleshy within, elongate- 

 clavate, ostiole simple ; spores stick- shaped, 

 simple. 



X. DIPLODIA. Conceptacle horny, in- 

 nate-superficial or immersed, perforated by 



a pore or irregularly opened or ostiolate, 

 ostiole more or less produced ; spores ovoid 

 or ellipsoid, double, then halved into com- 

 pressed-ternate, semi-ellipsoid sporules. 



XI. HENDERSONIA. Conceptacle fleshy, 

 superficially innate or immersed, perforated 

 by a pore, opening irregularly or ostiolate, 

 ostiole more or less produced ; spores glo- 

 bose, cylindrical or discoid. 



XII. SEPTORIA. Conceptacle horny, 

 innate-immersed, rounded, ostiole simple; 

 spores cylindrical, septate. 



XIII. VERMICULARIA. Conceptacle 

 bristly, depressed, bursting irregularly; spores 

 minute, linear. 



XIV. NEOTTIOSPORIA. Conceptacles 

 immersed ; spores appendaged at one end 

 with short hyaline threads. 



XV. PROSTHEMIUM. Conceptacle horny, 

 immersed, ostiole simple; spores transversely 

 septate, verticillate at the apex of their fila- 

 ments. 



XVI. ASTEROMA. Conceptacle very 

 small, slightly prominent, close, sub-con- 

 fluent, seated on more or less distinct radia- 

 ting fibrils. 



XVII. ANGIOPOMA. Conceptacles free, 

 membranous, somewhat horny, cup -shaped, 

 dehiscing by a circular mouth, provided with 

 a fugacious epiphragm; spores affixed at the 

 base, stalked, septate. 



XVIII. DISCOSIA. Conceptacles innate, 

 somewhat carbonaceous, at length collapsed 

 and plicate, ostiole perforated ; spores fusi- 

 form, produced at both ends into a thread- 

 like point. 



XIX. PIGGOTTIA. Conceptacles very 

 irregular, thin, obsolete beneath, confluent 

 into a rugulose patch, bursting by an irregular 

 crack; spores on short stalks, largish, ob- 

 ovate, somewhat constricted towards the 

 base. 



XX. PHLYCT^NA. Conceptacle spurious, 

 formed by the blackened epidermis ; spores 

 fusiform, cuspidate, septate, emerging ac- 

 companied by a gelatinous mass. 



XXI. MICROPERA. Conceptacle innate, 

 membranous, ovate, elongate, bursting at 

 the apex ; spores linear, continuous, curved, 

 emerging in a mass accompanied by gela- 

 tine. 



XXII. GL^OSPORIUM. Conceptacle ab- 

 sent, spores covered only by the cuticle, 

 which separates ; spores stalked, longish, 

 elliptical, simple, exuding a gelatinous 

 tendril. 



XXIII. MELASMIA. Conceptacles mem- 

 branous, superficial, rather tumid, at length 



