649 



H. platystomum, E. & E. (in Herb.) 



Stroma effused, reaching as mucli as 6 cm. diam., thin, showing 

 all the inequalities of the wood beneath, about 1 mm. thick, of a dull 

 reddish color at first, becoming nearly slate-cglor, the margin still 

 retaining the reddish hue. Perithecia crowded, erect, oblong, | x | 

 mm., the broad, orbicular, discoid ostiola eriimpent, as in Diatrype 

 platystoma, (Schw.). Asci cylindrical, paraphysate, 50x4 /i or, 

 including the short stipe, 55 [jl long. Sporidia uniseriate, • oblong- 

 elliptical, subinequilateral, pale brown, 5-6x2^-3 /i. 



On the end of a decaying log of Melia, St. Martinsville, La. 

 (Langlois). 



This seems easily distinct from all the allied species, on account 

 of its minute sporidia and discoid ostiola. 



H. fuscopurpiireuin, (Schw.) 



Sphisria fuscopurpurea, Schw. Syn. N. Am. 1209. 

 Hypoxylon fuscopnrpureum. Berk. Cuban Fungi, 835. 

 Exsicc. Rav. F. Am. 653. 



Variously effused, margin generally sterile. Outer crust rather 

 hard, black and shining within, surface elegantly purple, at length 

 dark purple, regularly granulose from the subjacent perithecia which 

 are oblong ovate, polystichous, numerous, small, immeised in the 

 shining-black stroma, staining the wood or bark around it black, 

 inseparably adnate, extending for an inch or more in length and pre- 

 ferring depressions in the surface of the wood. Sec. Cooke Grev. XI, 

 .p. 124, the sporidia are 14 x 7 //. The specimen in Rav, F. Am. 653, 

 on bark of ash, seaboard of South Carolina, has sporidia 9-11 x4J-6 ix 

 and looks more like a smooth form of H. ruhiginosum. 



On rotten wood and l)ark, Carolina and Pennsylvania (Schweinitz). 



H. piceum, Ell. Am. Nat Feb., 1883, p. 194. 



Stroma effused, subelliptical or elongated, often by confluence 

 forming patches 4-8 cm. long by half as wide, dark brown, nearly 

 black within, surface wrinkled and covered with a dull yellow conidial 

 gi'owtb, which also spreads over the surface of the wood adjacent, and 

 consists of short, rudimentary, irregularly branched hyphse covered 

 with the minute, dust-like conidia. Perithecia in 2-3 layers, densely 

 crowded and angular by compression, the lower layer much elongated. 

 Ostiola minute, scarcely visible. Asci? Sporidia navicular, brown, 

 11-12x4 /u. The stromata resemble blotches of black pitch dusted' 

 over^with yellow meal, and are of about the consistency of beeswax. 



On rotten wood, Iowa (Holway). 

 82 



