INTRODUCTION TO CIIYPT0G.4JM:IC BOTANY. 



397 



down without any very distinct pustule ; we should, in fact, 

 have an Undocarpon. The terminal fruit on the numerous 

 branches of Sphcerophoron (Fig. 83, 6) is first indicated by a 

 swelling, and in process of time the outer bark bursts and 

 exposes the contents of the perithecium, which consist of asci, 

 and paraphyses seated on a central columella. It has been 

 supposed that the sporidia were connected together in monili- 

 form chains; but there is no difference between them and the 



Fis. 83. 



1. Asci and sporidia of Endocarpon ininiatum (Moug. and Nest. 57). 

 h. Vertical section of perithecium of Sphixrophoron Coralloides (Moug. 

 and Nest. 262). 



c. Sporidia of ditto. 



d. Asci and paraphyses. 



All more or less magnified. 



sporidia of normal Lichens. The sporidia are beautiful objects 

 under the microscope, on account of their blue tint, and they 

 are singular amongst Lichens, with but few exceptions, on ac- 

 count of their spherical form, which is, however, often masked 

 by the rough epispore. The mode in which the mass of spores 

 breaks up is somewhat like that of Calicium, but they are 

 more closely compacted. They occur on trees and stones, and 

 are the great ornament of many a scattered boulder on the 

 mountains. Siphula differs in the hymenium, never cracking 

 up into powdery particles, but is expanded and at length deci- 

 duous ; while Acroscyphus, which is much coarser, with the 

 habit of a branched Glavaria, opens by a pore only, has a thin 

 expanded hymenium and bipartite sporidia, like some species 



