SPHiERlA. 



fimilar in their mode of growth to explain the nature of that 

 before us. 



Seft. 4. Shape Indeterminate. Capfules horizontal; atjirjl 

 marginal, and feparatt ; afterwards confluent. Twenty-four 

 fpecies. 



Perfoon himfelf doubts the certainty of this fe£lion, fome 

 of the fpecies feeming rather to belong to that immediately 

 preceding, others perhaps to the eighth. 



S. gram'mis. Grafa Sphacria. Perf. n. 50. Obf. My- 

 col. fafc. I. 18. t. I. f. I and 2. — Linear-oblong, forming 

 fhining black fpots upon leaves. Capfules globofe, without 

 prominent beaks. — Obferved by Perfoon on the leaves of 

 Elymus eitropaiis and Lolium perenne, in the fhape of oblong, 

 black, (lightly prominent fpots, various in length, which, 

 when cut vertically, difplay a feries of funk globular cap- 

 fules, not projefting above the furface. 



The reit of this feAion are fimilarly parafitical on the 

 leaves or italks of various plants. 



Seft. 5. Capfules croiuded into an elevated tuft, on a com- 

 mon cruflaceous receptacle ; their beaks converging. Fifteen 

 fpecies. 



S. ferruginea. Rufty-crulled Sphjeria. Perf. n. 62. 



Obf. Mycol. fafc. i. 66. t. 5. f. i, 2 Capfules black, 



with taper ftraight beaks ; their bafes furrounded with rufty 

 powder. — Gathered by Perfoon, on dry branches of hazel. 

 It burfts from under the cuticle in little oblong tranfverfe 

 prominent malles, of which nothing appears but the taper 

 Ipine-Uke beaks of the little black capfules. When laid 

 bare, a powdery rufty mafs, like a cruft, is found to ac- 

 company the capfules, but Perfoon fufpefts this may pof- 

 libly originate from the wood. His figure is admirable, aj 

 uf'jal with all that he has pubUfhed. 



Seel. 6. Capfules ranged circularly, vwflly decumbent, 

 ivithout a crufl, lodged uniler the cuticle of plants, their orifices 

 generally croiuded together. Fourteen fpecies, which might 

 perhaps have been comprehended in the laft feclion. 



S. convergens. Converging Sphieria. Perf. n. 86. Tode 

 Mecklenb. v. 2. 39. t. 14. f, iii. — Aggregate, flightly 

 prominent. Capfules black, ovate, with llraight beaks, 

 all meeting in a point. — On the branches of trees, efpecially 

 between the bark and cuticle of beech when dry. It con- 

 fifts of little black tubercular fpots, each formed of a few 

 minute capfules, ranged circularly, whofe beaks, about their 

 own length, meet in a conical point. There are no traces 

 of any crult, or common bafis. 



S. falicina. Aggregate Willow Sphaeria. Perf. n. 88. 

 Obf. Mycol. fafc. i. 64. (S. cancellata ; Tode Meek- 

 lenb. v. 2. 34. t. 13. f. 107.) — Aggregate, circular. 

 Mouth of tlie capfules concreted into a rugged perforated 

 diflc. — Not rare on dead dry branches of Willows, according 

 to Tode and Perfoon, giving them the roughnefs of a file 

 when handled. The minute black capfules are fo combined 

 at their orifices, eight or ten in each circular allemblage, as 

 to form one body, united by a rugged or reticulated, woody 

 or fungous, fubltance, of a grey or dirty white. 



Seft. 7. Capfules di/lind, forming a roundifh tuft, on a 

 common receptacle, and burfling through the cuticle of plants. 

 Eleven fpecies. 



S. coccinea. Scarlet Sphaeria. Perf. n. 92. (S. de- 

 cidua ; Tode Mecklenb. v. 2. 31. t. 13. f. 104.) — Tufted, 

 pale red. Capfules ovate, finooth. — Said to be not unfre- 

 quent on dead branches of beech ; confifling of fcattered 

 oval tufts, half the fize of a pea, bordered by the reflcxed 

 torn cuticle of the branch. The capfules are minute, half 

 funk in the tumid receptacle, each with a ihort beak. 

 There is a larger and brighter-coloured variety, found by 

 Dr. Roth on the elder. 

 Vol. XXXIII. 



S. populma. Poplar Sphaeria. Perf. n. 54. Obf. Mycol. 

 fafc. 2. 67. t. 5. f. 10, U. — 7Wted, black. Capfule. 

 numerous, ovate, fmooth, fomewhat fpreading, feated on 

 a denfe receptacle.— On the branches of poplars, but not 

 common. It forms little black fcattered tufts, each com- 

 pofed of 25 or 30 ovate, pointed, fefTile capfules, divaricated 

 at the points, and, though crowded, quite unconneded at 

 the bafe. 



S. aatuparia. Mountain-alh Sphaeria. Perf. n. 96. (S. 

 caefpitofa; Tode Mecklenb. v. 2. 41. t. 14. L 113.)— 

 Tufted, black, powdered with white. Receptacles aggre- 

 gate, palmate, each bearing feveral cylindrical capfules. 



On dead branches of the mountain-alh in May. This 

 burfts in round, black, hard mafles, from under the cuticle 

 of the tree, each the lize of a vetch-feed. When magnified, 

 each tuft appears to confilt of many hand-fhaped ered por- 

 tions, whofe finger-hke points are fuppofed to be the cap- 

 fules ; but the whole feems a very obfcure produdion, nor 

 has it ever fallen under our obfervation. 



Seft. 8. Capfules foUtary, difiinff, deflitute of a receptacle. 

 Eighty-three fpecies, fubdivided according to the fhape or 

 proportion of the mouths, or beaks, of the capfules. 



S. pileata. Cap Sphseria. Perf. n. 102. (S. raacro- 

 ftoma, var. E, pileata; Tode Mecklenb. v. 2. 13. t. 9. 

 f. 78.) — Simple, globofe; its mouth inverfely conical, flat 

 at the top, with a hnear orifice. — Found funk in the bark 

 of dead branches of trees, in the early fpring. Tode. The 

 fize of poppy-fccd, black and fmooth, crowned with a dif- 

 coid dilatation, in which the mouth is feated. 



S. dehifcens. Wide-mouthed Sphaeria. Perf. n. 106. 

 (S. macroftoma, var. a, ,S, y ; Tode Mecklenb. v. 2. I2. 

 t. 9. f. 76.) — Simple, globofe, immerfed ; its mouth com- 

 preiled, with tumid lips. — Found funk in the wood itfelf of 

 rotten branches of trees, in the month of April. Very near 

 the laft, from which Tode confidered it as not fpecifically 

 diftinft. The only difference confifts in the lefs prominent, 

 and not conical, form of the lips of the capfule. 



S. roflrata. Needle-beaked Sphaeria. Perf. n. 112. 



Tode Mecklenb. v. 2. 14. t. 9. f. 79 Simple, naked, 



globofe, granulated, with a very long taper-pointed beak. 

 — Found more or lef? immerfed in rotten beech wood. Each 

 plant confifts of a globular, rugged, black, thickly coated 

 capfule, the fize of coarfe fand, with a curved, fharp, (lender 

 beak, four or five times its own length. 



S. acuta. Sharp-mouthed Sphxria. Perf. n. 122. Obf. 

 Mycol. fafc. 2. 70. Sowerb, Fung. t. 119. — Scattered, 

 naked, black, (hining, depreticd, with a cylindrical (harp 

 beak. — Found on the dead ftalks of nettles more efpecially, 

 in the Ipring. Firft obferved in England by the Rev. Mr. 

 Relhan. It grows in a rather fcattered manner ; each plant 

 like a minute bottle, vertically flattened. 



S. Peziza. Scarlet-cup Sphxria. Perf. n. 129. Tode 

 Mecklenb. v. 2. 46. t. 15. f. 122. (S. miniata ; Hoffm. 

 Germ. v. 2. t. 12. f. I. Peziza hydrophora ; Balliard 

 t. 410. f. 1. Lycopcrdon liydrophorum ; Sowerb. Fimg. 

 t. 23.) — Crowded, dull red, globole, fomewhat hairy; at 

 length deprefled and concave. — Frequent in the hollows of 

 rotten trees in autumn, conipolinj< broad patches, of a dull 

 fcarlet hue. Each plant is fmallcr than a muftaid-feed, ex- 

 ternally roughilh or hairy. If Mr. Sowerby be riglit, the 

 feeds appear to form a white ball, whicli ii protruded out 

 of the capjule, after which the latter becomes deprcllcd and 

 hollow, as all authors defcribe it when advanced. See 

 ioniewtial fimilar in the character of SpilfiionoLUS in its 

 proper place. 



S. hifpida. Briftly Splixria. Perf. n. 144. Tode 



Mecklenb. v. 2. 17. t. 10. f. 84 — Simple, fcattered, pear- 



3 S fltaped. 



