40 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Usnea trichodea Ach. 



Orient Point. December. R. Latham. The specimens are 

 sterile. 



Vermicularia beneficiens n. sp. 



Perithecia thin, depressed, orbicular or ellipsoid, .3-5 mm broad, 

 densely gregarious, at first covered by the epidermis, then erumpent, 

 black, adorned with numerous black setae, sometimes paler at the 

 top, 80-240 !J- long, 4-6 fj. broad ; spores cylindric, straight or slightly 

 curved, acute at one or both ends, sometimes pseudouniseptate, 

 hyaline, 20-30 p- long, 4-4.5 ''-'- broad ; sporophores cylindric or sub- 

 clavate, obtuse, crowded, 12-15// long. 



On living stems of live- forever, Sedum purpureum 

 Tausch. Davenport, Delaware co. July. Luther Tucker & Son. 

 Collected by W. Gillander. 



The fungus attacks the stem at or near the base which soon turns 

 brown both without and within and becomes hollow in the affected 

 part. The leaves, being deprived of their necessary nourishment, 

 gradually wither, fade and drop, beginning at the lower part of the 

 stem and gradually advancing upward until the stem is nearly or 

 wholly denuded and finally dies. The root also early becomes dis- 

 colored and must necessarily cease to perform its natural functions. 



The species is similar to Vermicularia herbarum 

 West, and may possibly have been previously confused with it, since 

 that species has been reported as occurring on S e d u m acre L., 

 S. album L., S. maximum Suter and S. r e f 1 e x u m L. 

 Our plant, however, differs not only in its host plant, but also 

 differs from the characters assigned to V. herbarum in having 

 the perithecia larger and densly gregarious and in having the spores 

 longer, acute at the ends, and often spuriously septate. It also 

 appears to be specially distinct in its parasitic character. On this 

 account it has been announced as a beneficial fungus because of its 

 availability as a destructive agent in destroying a weed so tenacious 

 of life as the live-forever. This character of the fungus has sug- 

 gested the specific name here assigned to it. 



Perithecia tenua, depressa, orbicularia vel ellipsoidea, .3-5 mm 

 lata, dense gregaria, circumambientia, primum epidermide tecta, 

 deinde erumpentia, atra, setis numerosis, rigidis, erectis vel diver- 

 gentibus, acutis, atris ornata, quae aliquando apice pallescentes, 80- 

 240 X 4-6// ; sporae cylindraceae, rectae vel leviter curvatae, vulgo 

 utrinque acutae, aliquando pseudouniseptatae, " hyalinae, 20-30 x 

 4-5 !J-, basidia cylindracea subclavatave, obtusa, conferta, 12-15 ^ 

 longa. 



