132 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, June 1, 1858. 
name Fumago , of which, he made two sections. It is with 
the second of these, distinguished by the name Folychceton , 
that we are principally concerned at present. The first consists, 
in great part, of strata of the common Cladosporium her- 
harum, or possibily of one or more distinct species, mixed 
up with species of Mystrosporium , Triposporium , &c., but 
seldom in a very perfect state. The Cladosporium is com¬ 
monly developed on a dusty coat of honey-dew, and affords 
a convenient matrix for the growth of other mucedinous 
fungi. This is the Cladosporium Fumago, Eries and Link, 
and comprises, possibly, some species even of Persoon’s 
second section. Eries, however, has erred in including under 
it all species of that section, contenting himself merely with 
the remark, “ The plant, as it occurs with us, has delicate 
fibres; but in the south of Europe, on the leaves of Olive, 
Lemon, &c., it forms thicker spots and fibres.” To these we 
shall have to advert presently. 
These plants, then, consist of a creeping thallus or my¬ 
celium composed of moniliform threads, resembling those of 
Antennaria , or, as in that genus, occasionally to a greater or 
less extent mixed with filaments not at all constricted at the 
articulations. Eor the most part, they are of a more or less 
bright brown, when seen by transmitted light; but some¬ 
times portions are found nearly colourless, even when care is 
taken to distinguish mycelia of other fungi, which frequently 
occur amongst the dark threads. There is generally a cellular 
pellicle spreading over the surface of the leaf, from which the 
mycelium springs immediately, but which sometimes arises 
from the rooting base of its threads. A similar structure 
exists in many epiphytous fungi, as in Asterina , and even oc¬ 
casionally in Cladosporium —in such cases the pellicle being 
often readily separable from the cuticle of the matrix. The 
mycelium gives off numerous perithecia, ivhich are vertical, 
and frequently more or less branched. They consist at first, 
it is believed, of a simple membrane, though possibly a layer 
of cells is deposited in the course of their development on the 
walls. In all cases, however, threads run up from the my¬ 
celium, either subsequently or contemporaneously with their 
first origin, partially covering the inner sac, and more or less 
closely crowded, their apices frequently extending beyond 
them, and forming a fringe, the cilia of which are more or less 
divergent, consisting of such loosely-connected joints that the 
ultimate articulations frequently fall off, and form, doubtless, 
lug. 1. Asci and sporidia of Scorias spongiosa, Fr., magnified 600 diameters, 
From a sketch by Dr. Montagnc. 
one mode of propagation. These investing threads are pre¬ 
cisely analogous to the coating in Mr. Thwaites’s curious 
genus Cystocoleus , in which also the apices of the threads are 
free. In Fhizonema , an alga which is also invested with cells, 
the cellular coat, from the creeping habit of the genus, gives 
out rootlets ; and the threads of which it is composed are 
sometimes distinctly separate from one another at the apex of 
the series of endochromes, which they surround. The 
structure is well illustrated by what takes place constantly in 
Fatrachospermum , and some species of Callithamnion , where 
a descending stratum of cellular threads is given off at the 
base of the lower articulations of the branchlets, investing the 
main divisions of the plant, and increasing them in thickness. 
The peridia, or perithecia, whichever it may be thought best 
to call them, are sometimes simple, but frequently more or 
less branched, obtuse, or strongly acuminated, and contain 
rather large, delicate asci, which are, doubtless, in many 
cases, absorbed at an early period of growth; for the sporidia 
are frequently abundant where there is scarcely a trace of 
asci, and that even before they have arrived at their full 
growth. In all such cases, as in Lycoperdon , Scleroderma , 
&c., there is little doubt that the sporidia are perfected after 
the delicate sac in which they were at first produced is entirely 
absorbed. Though necessary for them at an early stage of 
growth, there is no reason why they should not be absorbed 
when the sporidia have arrived at such a state as to be capable 
of increasing in size and development, as well amongst the 
general contents of the common peridium as in the individual 
ascus. Perfect fruit has not been found in all the species, and 
not a trace of true sporidia in the species which we have 
placed in the third section, though it is undoubtedly pro¬ 
pagated by the upper articulations of the threads of the 
mycelium, which fall off in great abundance. It is, indeed, 
possible that some of the species may not contain asci at all, 
but produce their spores on sporopliores, as in the genus 
Splueronema, for on pressure a cloud of very minute sporelike 
bodies is given out from the peridia. Should this prove 
eventually to be the case, the name Polychseton could be re¬ 
tained for such species, which would form a genus amongst 
sporophorous fungi exactly parellel to Capnodium amongst 
the Ascospori. Eor the present, however, we must consider 
all as agreeing in essential structure, as indicated by the precise 
similarity of outward characters. 
Scorias , in which Dr. Montague lia3 ob¬ 
served the asci, differs principally from 
Capnodium in the gelatinous coat which 
binds the threads of the mycelium together, 
which are, indeed, far more profusely de¬ 
veloped ; but a modification of this exists 
in what w r e have called Capnodium Fuligo . 
The threads of Trichciria , which resemble 
in habit, and frequently in their place of 
growth, those of Harvey’s Microxiphium , 
certainly have a compound structure, and 
are, probably, rather of the nature of pe¬ 
rithecia than flocci. Dr. Montagnc has 
observed bipartite bodies in them; and, 
though there is no mycelium, it is possible 
that the genus may not be far distant from 
Capnodium , unless, indeed, the crust be 
considered as a component part, which is 
at least doubtful. Dr. Montague has once 
seen a body, attached to one of the bristle¬ 
like processes, resembling the fruit of an 
Helminthosporium ; but he is himself 
doubtful whether it may not be extraneous. 
There is a sort of external resemblance be¬ 
tween some Capnodia and Synalyssa, 
which, it may be observed, has lately been 
found in great perfection near Bristol by 
Mr. Thwaites. The resemblance, however, 
is but external, the whole structure of the 
supports of the Apothecia and their invest¬ 
ing coat being entirely different, resembling, 
in point of fact, that of Falmella rather 
than of any fungi. Asterina and Meliola , 
though provided with an abundant myce¬ 
lium, have no investing coat to the peridia, 
though in the latter rigid hairs spring from 
