■ f
S P H . ^ R I A AFFINIS.
Bed mouthless Sphcena.
G l a s s a n d O r d e r CRYPTOGAMIA FUNGI,
De Cand. Grev.
i i™ — N a t . O r d . HVPOXYLA,
GENERIC c h a r a c t e r .
Receptaculum 0. Perithecia cornea, libera, sessiles aut subimmersa, sparsa vel
congesta, ore interdum elongato, aUquando nullo; intus massa gelatinosa spo-
ruUfera inslructa.
Receptacle 0. Perithecia corneous, free, sessile, or somewhat immersed,
scattered or crowded, the mouth sometimes elongated, at others wanting.
Interior filled with a gelatinous sporuliferous mass.
SPECIFIC c h a r a c t e r .
Sp h a ;ria affinis; subgregaria vel sparsa, sessilis, aurantiaca, laivis, globosa, as-
toma, basi albida, Jilamentosa.
Sph. subgregarious or scattered, sessile, orange coloured, smooth, globose,
destitute of orifice, whitish and filamentous at the base.
Hab. Parasitic on the branches of Bangia atrovirens, Lyngb. {Cormcularut
pubescens of A c h a r iu s } in autumn. Appin, Captain Ca rm ic h a e l .
Perithecia very minute, yet sufficiently evident to the naked eye, irregular-
ly scattered on the stems and branches of Bangia atrovirens._ each in
the early state covered by a web of whitish filanients, winch, in matu-
ritv, remain at the base, and seem to assist in their attachment. When
fully grown, the perithecia are of a globose figure, an orange colour,
and smooth surface, without any trace of an orifice, and not, as I have
observed, disposed to collapse like those of Splmria Peziza, and several
Others. Thecce large for the size of the perithecia, intermixed with a
few paraphyses (or barren filaments). Sporidia large, mostly oblong,
simple, or once or even twice jointed.
Respecting this interesting little species, its estimable discoverer
Captain C a r m i c h a e l has favoured me with some observations,
which I cannot do better than give in his own words:
“ Besides its intrinsic beauty, it is curious, as being possibly
the plant figured in “ English Botany” as the fructification ot
Lichen pubescens {Bangia atrovirens, L y n g b . ) ihis is
merely a conjecture of my own, founded upon external appearance,
The fructification, as represented in the figure is hemispherical,
to be sure, or rather cupular ; hat this forni may
have been the result of collapsion. Should I be wrong in my
coniecture, you will allow it to he a very uncommon circumstance,
that a fungus of the same size and colour should he
VOL. lY.