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C la ss a n d O r d e r CRYPTOGAMIA FUNGI, L dot— N a ï . O r d . HYPOXYLA,
De Cand.
g e n e r i c c h a r a c t e r .
Receptaculum 0. Sphærulæ duriusculæ sparsoe vel aggregatæ, sub epidermide
insidentes, ore nunc depresso, nunc elongato, quandoque nulh ; intus massa
gelatinosa instructoe.
Receptacle 0. Spherules mostly corneous, scattered or aggregate, lying beneath
the epidermis, with the mouth depressed, elongated or wanting,
containing a gelatinous sporuliferous mass.
S PEC IF IC CHARACTER.
C r y p t o s p h æ r ia acuta ; gregaria ; peritheciis subglobosis, lævibus, atris, nitidis,
ostiolo rostelloto, stricto, cylindrico, obtuso.
C. gregarious; perithecia subglohose, smooth, black, shining, the mouth
beaked, straight, cylindrical, obtuse.
C r y p t o s p h æ r ia a c u t a , Grev. Ft. Fdin. p . 360.—Baxter, St. Cr. Oxon. Fxsicc.
No. 27.
S p h æ r i a a c u ta , Hoffm. Veg. Cr. 1 . p . 22. t. 5. f. 2— Pers. Obs. Mycol. 2.
p. 70.—Syn. Fung. p . 62— Sow. Fung. t. lig .—Alb. et Schmein. p . 3 3 .—
De Cand. FI. Franç. v. 6. p . 133.—IVith. Bot. Arr. ed. 6. v. 4. p . 4 6 8 .—
Relh. FI. Cant. ed. 3. p . 573.—Winch, Bot. Guide, v. 2. p . 1 0 8 .—Moug.
et Nestl. St. Fxsicc. No. 181.—Schum. FI. Sælland. v. 2. p . 157.—Purt.
Midi. FI. V. 2. p . 709.—Schmein. Fung. Carol. No. 152.—Fries, in Vet. Ac.
Handl. 1817, p- 118.—Scler. Suec. Fxs. No. 118.~Syst. Mycol. v. 2.
p. 507.
H ab. On the dead steins of large herbaceous plants, in spring. Very abundant
everywhere on Nettle stems.
Perithecia gregarious, situated beneath the epidermis, and as long as that
remains, only exhibiting minute black dots, which are the protruding
summits of the mouths. When the epidermis falls off, the perithecia
are exposed, of a roundish or ovate, or somewhat conical figure, smooth,
shining, very black, the mouth erect, straight, cylindrical, obtuse, often
as long as the body of the perithecium. Thecoe long, mixed with para-
physes. Sporidia linear, attenuated at each extremity, 4-5 times articulated.
This little plant is very conspicuous after the epidermis of
the stems has fallen ; and to the naked eye its peculiar sharp
appearance has doubtless suggested the name acuta, for under
a magnifier, the apex is very obtuse. The resemblance of
the perithecia to bottles of various forms is very striking.
Fig. 1. a, Cr. acuta; natural size, b, Group o f perithecia. c. Mouth o f a
perithecium. d, Thecoe, mixed with paraphyses. e, Sporidia ; magnified.