seems principally to be caused by the specific name oí f r a g iformis
having been given to two distinct species ; and it unfortunately
happens, that the resemblance in both to a strawberry
in miniature is equally striking. W i t h e r i n g (who
indeed is scarcely worth quoting in cryptogamia) has brought
together the plant figured and described by H a l l e r , and
that figm-ed by S o w e e b y , t. 2 5 6 ., though the two plates
positively contradict each other ; besides which, he has also
added Sphæria hullata of H o f fm a n n , which is a varietv
of Stromatosphoeria fusca. My friend Mr P u r t o n has
also unaccountably got entangled in the same labyrinth. A t
p. 7 0 6 . of his Midland Flora, he has described correctly the
Sphæria fragiformis of W i t h e r i n g and S o w e r b y ; but in
his Supplement, p. 4 8 5 ., has given as a synonym the true S. f r a giformis
of H a l l e r , H o f fm a n n , P e r s o o n and F r i e s ;
as also of our countrymen D i c k s o n and R e l h a n . His next
synonym of S. cinnabarina is correct ; hut the following one
of S.coccinea (M o u g . & N e s t l . St. Fxsicc. No. 18 8 .) belongs
to the true S. coccínea of P e r s o o n .
The remarkable resemblance between the receptacle of this
species and the Tubercularioe, cannot escape the intelligent
observer. T o d e in fact actually describes it as parasitic upon
Tuhercularia vulgaris. The learned F r i e s does not seem
satisfied on the subject, and Mr P u r t o n has not failed to notice
its exact similarity.
Fig. I . C. cinnabarina, nat. size. Fig. 2, A cluster. Fig. S. The same divided.
Fig. 4. Theca. Fig. 5. Sporules— All magnified except Fig. 1.