REV. U, J. BERKELEY — AN IMPERFECT FUNGUS. 197 



dentally amongst other seedlings ; and both have defied all attempts 

 at increase, and the plants themselves no longer exist. I was the 

 more anxious to obtain a specimen of A. Hendersonii because I 

 believe that its spores would prove to be imperfectly formed, like 

 those of A. ebenoides. I had already ascertained this to be the 

 case when Mr. Robinson Scott forwarded me such spores as 

 he could obtain from the living plant ; and these, submitted to the 

 care of Mr. Bull, have not germinated. 



In a criticism at page 734 of the same Journal, it is objected to 

 the figure of the Carnptosorus that the sori are disposed too regu- 

 larly ; but the figure exactly accords with specimens now before 

 me. It is said, moreover, that Asplenium ebenoides wants the ir- 

 regular distribution of the sori characteristic of the genus Campto- 

 sorus ; but a glance at Mr. Fitch's figure, which is very correct, 

 will show that they are by no means regular, but that they are 

 occasionally placed back to back or opposed to each other. 



In a late communication, Mr. Robinson Scott, together with 

 specimens of the three species figured, has sent Asplenium pinna- 

 tifidum, Nutt., gathered in the same locality as A. ebenoides; and 

 it must be confessed that the tapering extremity of the frond in 

 this species, which sometimes is proliferous, bears a very striking 

 resemblance to that of A. ebenoides, though there is little simila- 

 rity in other respects ; the sori especially are much fewer and very 

 different. He also transmitted a singular variety of Asplenium 

 ebeneum with perfectly round sori. 



Mr. Scott remarks that he finds the Carnptosorus very impatient 

 of cultivation, and that Asplenium pinnatifidum is equally difficult 

 to manage. 



XXXVII. On an Imperfect Fungus producing Disease in Or- 

 chids. By the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, M.A., F.L.S. 

 In the first Number of the present series of the ' Journal ' of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society, I have given an account of a minute 

 fungus which is extremely destructive to Orchids. Mr. Pilcher, 

 the scientific gardener of Mr. Rucker, brought, early in the year, 

 to one of the Tuesday meetings, an Orchid-leaf in an advanced 

 state of decay, covered with a white byssoid mycelium, which he 

 informed me is a most virulent enemy in the Orchid-house. A 

 drawing was laid before the Society, which I have considered of 

 sufficient interest to be reproduced here. 



