IMPERFECT CAPSULAR FUNGI— SPHAEROPSIDEAE 269 



sponds to Leptothyrium — the perithecia are elongated and 

 fissured after the manner of Hysterium, and some of them 

 are probably the stylosporous condition of species of Hypoderma 

 or of Lophodermium. Labrella has nearly circular perithecia, 

 which are innate, and sometimes formed from the changed 

 matrix, dehiscing by a longitudinal crack. A final genus, 

 Sdcidium, differs from all the rest in the perithecia not being 

 distinctly parenchymatous. The sporules are often globose. 

 The Phaeosporae, with coloured continuous sporules, consist of 

 but one small genus, with scutate perithecia- pierced in the 

 centre. Of this single genus, Pirostoma, only one species is 

 known. The Phragmosporae have all hyaline sporules, which 

 in Biscosia are fusoid and ciliate at each end. In Entomo- 

 sporium the sporules are two-celled, with a lateral smaller cell 

 on each side at the septum, so as to be cruciate, each with a 

 cilium. This is the same genus as is sometimes known under 

 the name of Morthiera. The Scolecosporae, with long filiform 

 sporules, include the genus Actinothyrium, which has flat 

 shield-like perithecia, delicately fringed all around the margin ; 

 and Melophia, in which the similar perithecia are corrugated, 

 but not fringed at the margin. Leptostromella consists of 

 species of Leptostroma, as originally interpreted, which have 

 long filiform sporules. In other respects with the habit and 

 appearance of Leptostroma. The Zeptostromaceae are most 

 common on leaves, or the stems of herbaceous plants, but with 

 only a few exceptions appear to be saprophytic. 



The last family is the Excipulaceae, in which there is a 

 nearer approach to cupulate forms. In its general character 

 the perithecium, or receptacle, is cup-shaped, patellate, discoid, 

 or hysteriform, in all of which it is at first nearly spherical, 

 but soon open; and either smooth or hairy, commonly erumpent, 

 and then superficial, so as almost to resemble minute black 

 Pezizae, with which some of the species were formerly associated. 

 The Hyalosporae are again the largest section, and may be 

 divided into those which have the receptacle smooth and those 

 in which the receptable is hairy or bristly. The smooth cupped 

 are of two kinds, namely, those in which the receptacle is cup- 

 shaped and those in which the receptacle is split longitudinally, 

 or is valvate. The cup-shaped, smooth-surfaced group contains 



