CRYPTOGAMIA. FUNGI. Sphjeeia. 
363 
{Soiverby 216— Hoffm. Crypt. 1.4. 1 and 2. 1. var. E.)— Bull. 432. 2— Bolt. 
122.1— Dill. 18. 7— Weig. Obs. 3. 3— Hall. Enum. 2. 9, at p. 91 ; Hist. 
47. 9, at iii. p. 88. 
Intensely black, shining, hard, granulated, white within. 
(Depressed Sphaeria. Sph. depressa. Sowerby. Bolt. Purt. Sph. bullata. 
Hoffm. Pers. Hook. E.) Sph. disciformis. Hoffm. Pers. 
On the outer rind of decaying branches of trees. Bolt. 
Sph. aggrega'ta. (Relh.) Black, clustered, spherical, mouth, entire. 
Lightf. 1069* Bolt. 
{Hoffm. Crypt, ii. 3. 3.— Grev. Scot. Crypt. 6. E.)— Bolt. 122, 2— Lightf. 
31, lowermost figure , at p. 9G2— Batsch 180— {Sowerby 372. f. 4. E.) 
Small, black, about the size of and resembling the head of a black pin. 
Relh. Suppl. i. 35. Very much resembling line gunpowder, but white 
within. Bolt. Perfectly globular, the size of small pins heads ; grows in 
thick clusters ; principally on decayed stumps of trees. Mr. Woodward. 
(Clustered Sph^eria. Gunpowder Sphceria. Sph. bombardica. Bolt, 
Purt. Lycoperdon nigrum. Lightf. Lye. aggregatum. Huds. Sph. glo- 
bularis. Batsch. Sph. spermoides. Hoffm. Hook. Grev. E.) Trunks of 
decayed trees and rotten wood; mostly on such as have been sawn off ; 
but sometimes, though less luxuriantly, under the loosened outer bark. 
Oct.—Sept. 
(Sph. pulchei/la. Spherules aggregated, forming a circle, mouth fili¬ 
form, black, very long, flexuose, depressed. Sporuliferous cells 
numerous, acutely attenuated at each extremity, containing three 
or four oval sporules. Grev. 
Grev. Scot. Crypt. 67. 
Each spherule taken separately bears a striking resemblance to a miniature 
chemical retort. The wonderful and elegant structure of this minute 
fungus, so exquisitely displayed by Greville, will well repay the mycolo¬ 
gist who explores beneath the outer bark of the decaying birch or cherry 
tree. The dark conglomerations of spherules form circles of one-fourth 
to one inch diameter. 
Retort Sfhaeria. Sph. pulchella. Pers. Cryptosphceria pulchella. Grev. E.) 
Sph. byssa'cea. Simple, solitary, very small, black: crust snowy 
white, powdery. Wieg. Dicks. 
Weig. Obs. 2. 9. 
Crust white, powdery, spreading. Wieg. 43. 
(Black and White Sphceria. E.) On the bark of oak trees : and on the 
trunks of ash about Craig Lochart, Collington, and Woodhall in Scotland. 
Mr. Brown. Jan.—March. 
Sph. stig'ma. Black dots in clusters on a dark coloured crust. 
Hoffm. Veg. Crypt, i. 2. 2. 
This is formed beneath the outer bark, and when that gives way it is seen 
wide spreading and investing the branch; of a black or black-brown 
colour, and cracked across. A line in thickness, and its figure roundish 
or kidney shaped; brown or whitish when cut. Hoffman. 
