SPH./ERIACEI. 109 



asci. The little dots visible to the naked eye are the 

 slightly projecting mouths of the capsules, which are 

 more distinctly seen in the magnified portion of the 

 Fungus (fig. 13). In the young state, this Fungus is 

 whitish. 



This Fungus cannot be mistaken for a UredOj two 

 species of which occur upon grasses Uredo linedris 

 forming yellowish-brown spots, and Uredo rubigo 

 yellow spots. 



Dothidea utmi (PL VIII. fig. 24) forms black, 

 slightly raised, and somewhat star- shaped spots upon 

 the upper surface of the leaves of the elm. In a sec- 

 tion (fig. 26) the cavities are seen, containing the 

 very delicate asci (fig. 25). The spores (fig. 27) are 

 oval, with a minute septum at one end. 



Sphdria rubel'la (PL VIII. fig. 16) is extremely 

 common on the dead stems of the nettle, &c. In this 

 Fungus the black bottle-like perithecia (fig. 18), con- 

 taining the asci and paraphyses (fig. 17), are at first 

 situated beneath the epidermis, through which they 

 at length burst. The spores (fig. 19 a) are spindle- 

 shaped, and from four- to seven- sept ate. When ripe, 

 they escape by a hole or pore in the neck. 



Sphce'ria complandta (PL VIII. fig. 22) is another 

 common species, found in hedges, on dead sticks of 

 the softer (herbaceous) plants, as the parsley-order 

 (Umbelliferae) . Here the minute capsules, which are 

 scattered over the stems, are at first rounded, then 

 flattened on the top (depressed), the neck being very 

 minute (fig. 23). The spores in this species are 

 exceedingly minute, oblong, and not contained in 

 asci. 



Sphdria bulldta also belongs to this family. It 

 occurs upon decaying birch-sticks, presenting to the 

 naked eye the appearance represented in PL VIII, 

 fig. 20. The black, raised tubercles (receptacles) in 

 their growth burst through the bark, splitting the 

 epidermis. They consist of a white stroma (fig. 20 a), 



