Fries says of this plant, or rather of what have been referred to it, "Fan-ago speeierum minimarum" and under it two very different species are given in the 'Scleroniycetes Suecicae,' (no. 38). Of one of these, both a larger and smaller form occur ; the other is identical with what has been published as a small state of Splueria complanata. I have given, at nos. 267 and 288, of my ' British Fungi' (Fasc. 4th), the same plant, in two different stages of growth, as Sp. herbarum and Sp. complanata ; these are intended to illustrate the views of Fries, and with no idea that either would prove identical with any of the larger or normal species, which are well distinguished by their sporidia. These, in the true S. herbarum, are oblong; with several longitudinal and transverse dissepiments, like what are seen in Splueria Laburni, in the specimens before me from Auckland Island and in the larger English form. The plant published in my 'Fasciculi' is destitute of asci, which is the case with S. acuta, Hoffm. The analysis of the latter plant, given by Greville, belongs to S. coniformis (which often occurs on the same stem), and does not therefore properly refer to Spharia at all ; but either to the Sphceronema or to the genus Septoria, as extended by Desmazieres, or finally, if Spharia be remodelled according to the plan upon which De Notaris has revised the Italian species, it will come under a new generic name.
On carefully removing the cuticle of the Chrysobactron, I find that in the specimens before me the perithecia give out a few straight filaments which creep for a short distance ; this I believe to be a common occurrence with the subcuticular species'. On the same stalks individuals having the same external characters occur, in Which the sporidia are uniseptate. This form I at first believed to be a distinct species, but am now satisfied that it is' an imperfect state of S. herbarum ; especially since three septa are at times seen.
Plate LXVIII. Fig. III. — 1, stem of Chrysobactron with fungus of natural size ; 2, portion of ditto, magnified; 3, ascus of S. herbarum j 4, the same, .of an 'immature specimen ; 5, sporidia of ditto ; — highly magnified.
2. Spharia nebulosa, Pers. ? SpwjJs.Fung.^.2>.
Hab. With the former.
Very imperfect ; as are also the published descriptions of S. nebulosa itself.
3. Sph^rta nigrella, Fries? Si/st. Myeol. v. 2. p. 512.
Hab. With the two former.
Specimens, unfortunately without fructification and therefore undeterminable.
4. Spharia pkceosticta, Berk. ; gregaria, peritheciis globosis atris epidermide fusco-maculato tectis, ostiolo prominulo punctiformi, ascis linearibus, sporidiis uniserialibus fuscis breviter cymbiformibus. (Tab. LXVTIL Fig. IV.)
Hab. Lord Auckland's group and Campbell's Island ; on the dead leaves of Hierochloe Brunonis. Gregaria, ocido nudo maculas parvas punctifonnes bruuneolas exhibens, sub quaque macula perithecium minus globosum ostiolo subproniinulo punctiformi latitat. Asci primum breves, sporidiis pellucidis ellipticis biseriahbus, demum lineares, sporidiis fuscis breviter cymbiformibus uniseriabbus, nucleo magno globoso.
I know of no species at all resembling the present. The change in the form of the asci and sporidia is very instructive and confirms me in my opinion, that Spharia herbarum and its accompanying uniseptate state belong to the same species (vid. supra). It is worthy of observation, that the sporidia exhibit these changes whilst still colourless. Diplodia presents a somewhat analogous case to this, septa being sometimes formed in that genus after the spores have acquired their colour.
Plate LXVIII. Fig. IV. — 1, leaf and fungus of the natural size ; 2, portion of the same, magnified ; 3, an immature and mature ascus ; 4, sporidia : — all magnified.
