470 
JOHN A. ELLIOTT 
copied it undoubtedly went far toward spreading the misconception. 
Other species of Alternaria, described as Macrosporium, have been 
similarly figured and it is a common conception that the beak is a 
pedicel. Many authors have made correct descriptions and figures 
Alternaria. In such cases the term ''obclavate" replaces "clavate." 
The generic description of Alternaria^ should be emended as follows : 
Alternaria Nees. Conidiophores solitary or fasciculate, erect or 
subdecumbent, simple or branched, generally short, colored. Conidia 
muriform, often with few longitudinal septa, ovate, obclavate, or 
elongate, always with more or less definitely pointed: apex, often 
long-beaked, colored; under favorable conditions forming chains. 
(Ex., A. tenuis, the type of the genus.) 
B. Macrosporium 
Of the four species of Macrosporium described by Fries when he 
created the genus, M. convallariae and M. cheiranthi undoubtedly be- 
longed to Alternaria. Fries, however, had rejected the genus Alter- 
naria and placed A. tenuis in the genus Torula as T. alternata. In the 
exsiccati studied, specimens labeled as M. convallariae and M. cheiran- 
thi belonged to Alternaria. The third species of Fries, M. tenuissimum 
(Helminthosporium tenuissimum Nees), is placed by Saccardo in the 
genus Clasterosporium as C. tenuissimum. The fourth species of 
Fries's original publication, M. caracinum, is not mentioned by Saccardo. 
The material for this species was supplied to Fries (7) by Schweinitz, 
and the description of Fries corresponds exactly with the description 
and figures of Schweinitz (18) for Clasterosporium caricinum, which is 
the type of the genus Clasterosporium. There is no doubt, therefore, 
that the types of Clasterosporium caricinum and Macrosporium carici- 
num are from the same material. 
Corda (6) placed Clasterosporium caricinum in the genus Sporades- 
mium as S. closteriosporium, but the genus Sporodesmium was at that 
time so heterogeneous that such a disposition cannot be considered 
final. 
Since Macrosporium caricinum Fries and M. tenuissimum (Nees) 
Fries were published two years before Clasterosporium caricinum Schw., 
^ALTERNARIA Nees, Syst. d. Pilze 11, p. 72 (Etym. alternus ob conidia 
alterne crassiora et tenuata). Hyphae fasciculatae, erectiusculae, subsimplices, 
breves. Conidia clavato-lageniformia septato-muriformia per isthmos (conidiorum 
caudas) catenulatim digesta, mox vero secedentia. — Polydesmi, Macrosporii et 
Clasterosporii species nonnullae obiter observatae forte hue spectant. (Saccardo, 
Sylloge Fungorum IV: p. 545.) 
