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DECADES OF BRITISH FUNGI.

BY M. C. COOKE, ESQ.

(PLATE XLV.)

DEC. I.-VII.

The fungi described in the following pages have been chiefly collected during the past twelve months. For several of these I am indebted to the assiduity of Dr. Edward Capron, of Shere, whose devotion to the study of microscopic fungi will, I trust, in the future, contribute materially to the number of species that I may have to include in the "Decades." The species enumerated by Messrs. Berkeley and Broome, in the Annals of Natural History' (vol. xv. April, May, June, 1865), will not be included, and, therefore, to those communications by my excellent friends the following may be regarded as supplemental :

ERYSIPHEI.

I have to record several interesting additions to this group, two of which belong to a genus not before determined as British.

PODOSPHÆRA, Kunze. Mycelium effuse, web-like, evanescent. Conceptacles sphærical, containing one, subglobose, 8-spored sporangium. Spores ovate. Appendages few, dichotomous, thickened at their extremities, hyaline.-Léveillé in 'Annales des Sciences Naturelles.'

1. PODOSPHÆRA KUNZEI, Lév. Amphigenous. Conceptacles minute, scattered, globose. Appendages three times the length of the diameter of the conceptacles.-Lév. Ann. Sc. Nat. 1851, xv. p. 135. Alphitomorpha tridactyla, Wallr. Fl. Crypt. ii. p. 758. Erysibe tridactyla, Rabh. D. Krypt. Fl. p. 237; Desmz. Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 3. t. iii. p. 361. Erysibe Brayana, Weigt. Reg. Bot. Zeit. 1838, p. 473; Rabh. D. Krypt. Fl. p. 237.-On the leaves of Prunus domestica. Shere, near Guildford, September, 1865 (Dr. E. Capron). (Pl. XLV. Fig. 3, tip of appendage, × slightly.)

2. PODOSPHÆRA CLANDESTINA, Lév. Amphigenous. Conceptacles minute, globose, scattered. Appendages (8-10) equal in length to the diameter of the conceptacles. Branches short and rounded at their extremities.-Lév. Ann. des Sc. Nat. 1851, xv. p. 135. Erysiphe Oxyacantha, De Cand. Fl. Fr. vi. p. 106; Duby, Bot. Gall. 868; Cast. VOL. IV. [APRIL 2, 1866.]

H

Cat. p. 190; DR. and Mont. Fl. Alg. ii. Alphitomorpha clandestina, Wallr. Fl. Germ. ii. p. 754. Erysibe clandestina, Lk. Sp. Pl. p. 105. Erysiphe clandestina, Fr. Sys. Myc. p. 238.-On the leaves of Hawthorn. Kentish Town, September, 1864; Shere, near Guildford, September, 1865 (Dr. E. Capron). (Fig. 4, tip of appendage, X slightly.)

Alphito

Erysibe

3. UNCINULA WALLROTHII, Lév. Amphigenous. Mycelium weblike, evanescent. Conceptacles minute, scattered. Sporanges 12-16, pear-shaped, 6-spored. Appendages numerous, twice the length of the diameter of the conceptacles.-Lév. Ann. des Sc. Nat. 1851, xv. p. 153. Erysiphe Prunastri, De Cand. Fl. Fr. vi. p. 108. morpha adunca, ß. Prunastri, Wallr. Verhand. i. p. 37. adunca, var. 2. Prunastri, Lk. Sp. Pl. i. p.111. Erysiphe adunca, ß. Prunastri, Duby, Bot. Gall. p. 870; Fr. S. M. iii. p. 245. Alphitomorpha adunca, c. Rosacearum, Rabh. D. Krypt. Fl. p. 236 (partly).—On the leaves of Prunus spinosa. Shere, October, 1865 (Dr. E. Capron). This species is very closely allied to Uncinula adunca, from which the length of the appendages, the number of sporanges and of the spores, with its evanescent mycelium, distinguish it.

4. MICROSPHERIA COMATA, Lév. Hypophyllous. Mycelium weblike, fugacious. Conceptacles scattered, minute, globose. Sporanges 8, ovate, with a beak-like termination at their base, 4-spored. Appendages few, six times the length of the diameter of the conceptacles.-Calocladia comata, Lév. Ann. des Sc. Nat. 1851, xv. p. 157; Cooke, Fung. Brit. Exs. n. 94. Erysibe Euonymi, De Cand. Fl. Fr. vi. p. 105. Alphitomorpha comata, Wallr. Fl. Crypt. ii. p. 757. Erysibe comata (Euonymi), Lk. Sp. Pl. ii. p. 114. Erysiphe Euonymi, Duby, Bot. Gall. p. 870. E. penicillata, e. Euonymi, Fr. S. M. iii. p. 244. Erysibe comata (Euonymi), Rabh. D. Krypt. Fl. p. 231.-On the leaves of Euonymus Europaeus. Shere, September, 1865 (Dr. E. Capron). (Fig. 5, tip of appendage, × slightly.)

5. ERYSIPHE HORRIDULA, Lév. Amphigenous. Mycelium web-like, sometimes persistent. Conceptacles minute, globose, scattered or clustered. Sporanges 20-24, oblong-ovate, attenuated downwards, containing 3-4 spores. Appendages short, flexuose, and bent upwards. -Lév. Ann. des Sc. Nat. 1851, xv. p. 170. Alphitomorpha horridula, var. a. Asperifoliarum, Wallr. Fl. Germ. ii. p. 755. Mucor Erysiphe in Symphyto, Leyss. Fl. Hol. p. 305. Erysibe horridula, e. Aspe

rifoliarum, Rabh. D. Krypt. Fl. p. 245.-On leaves of Lycopsis arvensis. Shere, October, 1865 (Dr. E. Capron).

SPHÆRIACEI.

6. DIATRYPELLA QUERCINA, De Not. Perithecia 8-15 in a group, black. Ostiola ovate, quadrisulcate. Asci linear-clavate. Sporidia numerous, yellowish in a mass, sausage-shaped, and colourless when free.-Schema di class. Sferiacei Ital. p. 28. Sphæria quercina, Pers. Syn. p. 24. t. 1. f. 7 b; Desm. Pl. Crypt. n. 1752. Stromatosphæria quercina, Grev. Fl. Ed. p. 358. Diatrype quercina, Tul. Sel. Fung. Carp. ii. p. 98 (non Berk. et Br., nec Currey); Rabh. Herb. Myc. n. 319, ex Duby.-On Oak branches. Common. (Fig. 2, ascus and sporidia, × 300.)

7. DIATRYPE SYNGENESIA, Curr. Perithecia not circinating, united by a distinct crust or stroma. Asci somewhat clavate. Sporidia biseriate or crowded, colourless, elliptic-acuminate; endochrome quadripartite, sometimes only bipartite, 0005-0006 in. long.-Sphæria (Valsa) syngenesia, Fr.; Currey in Linn. Trans. xxii. n. 123. t. 47. f. 119.-On Elder, Fife House, Whitehall, January, 1866.-The sporidia are precisely those figured by Mr. Currey in Linn. Trans., cited above, under the name of Sphæria syngenesia, Fr., and which he considers to belong to that species.-The specimen from which those sporidia were figured, was marked "S. Frangula, Pers. in litt.," by Mougeot, in the Kew Herbarium, and this is identified with S. syngenesia, by Fries in his 'Elenchus' (ii. p. 78). Messrs. Berkeley and Broome, on the other hand, contend that another Sphæria, called by them Valsa syngenesia, Fr., is the true Sphæria syngenesia, Fr., according as it evidently does with the figure given in Fries's Observations' (part ii. t. 7. f. 1). Hence we must conclude that Fries confounded two species, occurring on Elder, under the same name, through not having regard to the fruit, which in Messrs. Berkeley and Broome's species has minute sausage-shaped sporidia. I found during the past winter three distinct species of compound Sphæriæ, on fallen twigs of Elder; one of these corresponds with Messrs. Berkeley and Broome's species, one with Mr. Currey's species, and one to be hereafter referred to. Undoubtedly the species with minute sausage-shaped sporidia is a true Valsa, therefore the name adopted by Messrs. Berkeley and Broome is entitled to stand. The other appears to me, and also,

I believe, to Mr. Currey, to whom a specimen was sent, not to be a Valsa at all; since that gentleman observes, "I make out a distinct black crust or stroma, uniting the perithecia, which are effused and not arranged in circles, as in Valsa. It seems to me to belong to the Concrescentes. The fruit agrees with the figure of Valsa syngenesia in the Linn. Trans." Whether this is also the character of Sphæria Frangulæ, Moug., I am not in a position to say, therefore have not included it as a synonym of the present species.

The third species, which I found in the same locality, on Elder, was unfortunately confined to a single fragment of a stick. It approximated somewhat in habit to Diatrypella quercina and its allies; the asci were elongated and stipitate, containing numerous sausage-shaped sporidia. It seems to me to be sufficiently distinct to be regarded as a separate species, but I should not propose it as such upon the faith of a single specimen. Should it occur again, it could not have a more appropriate name than D. affinis, under which I have transferred it to my herbarium.

S. VALSA AMYGDALINA, n. sp.; peritheciis paucis (4-6), circinatis, atris, prominulis; collibus rectis convergentibus, non confluentibus, disco aurantio-claro convexo obtectis; ascis cylindricis; sporidiis uniserialibus, amygdaliformibus, hyalinis.-On small twigs of Hornbeam. Highgate, September, 1866. Forming dark bullate spots, caused by the black perithecia nestling beneath the thin epidermis, somewhat depressed around the ostiola, which are at first covered with a bright orange disk, at length naked. Perithecia from 4-6 in a group, black, with straight convergent necks, never confluent. Asci cylindrical, containing eight almond-shaped, large, uniseriate, hyaline sporidia, occurring sometimes on the same twigs as Valsa bitorulosa, B. and Br., from which it is distinguishable with the naked eye, by the dark prominent perithecia and bright orange disk. The sporidia closely resemble those of some Peziza. (Fig. 21, ascus and sporidia, × 300.)

9. VALSA THELEBOLA, Fr. Pulviniform or conical, depressed or subtruncate. Asci oblong. Sporidia biseriate, amber-coloured, with a greenish tint or hyaline, slightly curved, obtuse at the extremities, commonly ciliate at each end, uniseptate.-Curr. Linn. Trans. xxii. p. 280. t. 48. f. 157 and 159. Sphæria thelebola, Fr. S. M. ii. p. 408. n. 193. Sphæria ditissima, Tul. Ann. Sc. Nat. 1856, iii. p. 117. Aglaospora thelebola, Tul. Sel. Fung. Carp. ii. p. 166. t. 21. f. 1–18.

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