CRYPTOGAMIA. FUNGI. Sphaseia. 
361 
(Mr. Purton finds a variety common in Ragley woods, which he considers 
S. melogramvici of Persoon, and differing only from S. rugosa in being 
“ confluent, less compact, spreading on wood in regular series for many 
inches in length.” This grows ©n dead branches of beech. E.) 
Spii. max'ima. Large, thick, black, pustular. 
Bull. 487. 1— Hoffm. Crypt. 1. 1. 2 —(Sowerby 338. E.)— Bolt. 181-— Mich. 
54. ord. 2. 1. 
Grey black, inflated, friable ; surface uneven; cells distinct; from a quarter 
to three quarters of an inch diameter, or more. 
(Great Black Sphaeria. Sph. deusta. Pers. Hook. E.) On rotten wood, 
and decayed roots on the ground. 
Sph. fraxin'ea. Black; roundish, convex, dotted. Hall. n. 21Q2. 
(Sowerhy 160. E.)— Bolt. 180— Schaff. 329. 
Convex, smooth without; substance within consisting of a number of con¬ 
centric layers composed of minute tubes or threads pointing from the 
centre. Ray. Very irregular in shape, from half an inch to more than 
one inch in diameter. Pustules scarcely visible to the naked eye. Relh. 
Suppl. i. 34. Sometimes from two to four inches diameter; opening at 
the top when ripe and shedding a large quantity of black powder. It is 
eaten by a maggot, which can also eat through a deal board, as happened 
to the bottom and sides of a drawer in which I had kept some of these 
plants. This differs from Sph. maxima in being more woody and showing 
concentric circles when cut. It is generally more completely sessile than 
it is represented in the figures; and in its younger state is of a dirty ches- 
nut colour. 
(Ash Sph*eria. Sph.fraxinea. Sowerby. Relh. Purt. Ly coper donfraxineum. 
Huds. Bye. atrum. Schseff. Sph. concentrica. Bolt. Pers. Hook. E.) Oh 
decayed ash trees, and observed on no other tree. Ray. (In large quan¬ 
tities on an old ash by the foot road between Thornbury and Alveston, 
Gloucestershire; and on an ash overhanging the road leading up the first 
hill betwixt Queen’s-ferry and Edinburgh. E.) May. 
Sph. tuberculo'sa. Brick-red to black, convex; flesh, black; stemless, 
incorporated, tubercles brown ; spherules of the same colour. 
Bolt. 123. 1—( Soiva'by 374 .f. 8. E.)— Weig. Ohs. 3. 2. h. c. 
About one-tenth of an inch over. It always grows on the inner bark of the 
branch, forcing its way through the outer bark. Bolt. 
(Tubercled SpHiERiA. Sph. tuberculosa. Sowerby. Bolt. Lightf. Purt. Sph. 
fusca. Pers. Hook. E.) On dried sticks, decayed bark of trees. Lightf. 
And decayed wood. Dill. Most commonly on hazel. Bolt. 
Sept.—April. 
Sph. nitida. Simple, mostly solitary, neatly imbedded; shining, black, 
crust sheath-like, cracked. Wieg. Dicks. 
(Sowerby 275. E.)— Weig. Ohs. 2. 14. 
Crust pale brown or yellowish, cracked, inclosing the spherules to half their 
thickness. Powder black. Wieg. Obs. p. 45. 
(Shining SniiERiA. Sph. nitida. Sowerby. Relh. Dicks. Vermcaria nitida. 
Achar. Purt. E.) On the bark of trees. 
