IMPERFECT CAPSULAR FUNGI— SPHAEROPSIDEAE 271 



tough and black, with a pallid disc. Possibly a stylosporous 

 form of Durella compressa is the only recorded species. The 

 section Phragmosporae contains two genera which are offsets 

 from the old genus Excipula. These are Uxcipulina, with 

 smooth receptacles and multiseptate sporules ; 

 and Excipularia, with setose receptacles and multi- 

 septate sporules. In the remaining genus, Pili- 

 dium, the receptacles are erumpent, discoid, and 

 membranaceous, blackish and torn at the margin, 

 with a pallid disc. The section Scolecosporae 

 alone remains, containing three genera in which 

 no definite stroma is present : Schizothyrella, with 

 the perithecia hemispherical, then torn at the 

 margin, the filiform sporules breaking up into FlG - 124.— 



*,.... „ . . , . , , Sporules of 



cylindrical joints ; Frotostegia, m which the mnemmpor- 

 feceptacles are discoid, at first covered, then ivm - 

 exposed, margin torn or fringed, disc gelatinous, sporules 

 thread-like, but not breaking up ; and Oncospora, with 

 discoid or cup-shaped receptacles, usually gregarious, erumpent, 

 disc gelatinous and the sporules clavate, hamate (curved like a 

 sickle) or sigmoid (like the letter S). The only compound 

 genus is Ephelis, in which an effused, sclerotium-like black 

 stroma bears the cup-shaped receptacles, with filiform sporules. 

 It is analogous to a genus of Discomyceteae, to which the name 

 of Uphelina has been given. 



This running commentary on the Sphaeropsideae has made 

 it manifest that at many points the genera, or some species, 

 have a close relationship with some of the Ascomyceteae ; but even 

 if all these were removed, there would still remain an imposing 

 array of species against the autonomy of which no word of 

 calumny has yet been offered. The Sphaeropsideae may not be 

 so attractive or interesting as the Pyrenomyceteae, but they 

 equally claim recognition, until the alleged dimorphism can be 

 proved against them. 



The Melanconieae have undoubtedly a close affinity with 

 the Sphaeropsideae, with which they have always been associated. 

 The chief distinction, and the only one which can be insisted 

 upon, is that the perithecia — so universal, under some form, in 

 the Sphaeropsideae — are absent in the Melanconieae. The habit 



