Synopsis of Some Genera of the Large Pyrenomycetes: Camillea, Thamnomyces, Engleromyces — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Synopsis of Some Genera of the Large Pyrenomycetes: Camillea, Thamnomyces, Engleromyces
John Stuart Mill · en
Leveille named this from a specimen from Tolima, Columbia, South
America. The type Fig. 847 is all than is known to me. Leveille spins a
long story about it having spores borne on filaments, merely a wrong
deduction, I think, from his having found filaments (of the perithecia
walls?) mixed with the spores. Saccardo, who evidently did not take much
stock in Leveille's story, omitted the species, suggesting that it was a
form of Camillea turbinata. Saccardo's conclusions were almost as bad as
Leveille's.
We have not examined any specimens of Camillea globosa, but suspect a
section would show two divisions of the gleba, as in the next. In fact,
with the exception of the stipe, it appears to be the same plant, and
abundant collections may show them as only sessile and stipitate forms
of the same thing.
[Illustration: #Fig. 847.#]
CAMILLEA POCULIFORMIS (Figs. 848 and 849).--Plants caespitose,
stipitate, globose or obovate, smooth, black, 8-15 mm. in diameter.
Stroma somewhat flattened at apex, opening circumscissally[2] or
breaking irregularly. Stipe 8-10 cm. long, 2-3 mm. thick, black. Stroma
hollow, the interior in two divisions, a narrow layer above, the fertile
portion with a few spores in abundant, hyphae remnants, the lower
(corresponding to the sterile base of a Lycoperdon) of matted hyphae.
Spores short, elliptical, 9 x 14, pale colored, scantily found.
[Illustration: #Fig. 848.# Camillea poculiformis.]
[Illustration: #Fig. 849.#]
The pulverulent mass is rather firm, and remains after the peridium
breaks up. Camillea poculiformis was named Corynelia poculiformis in
Weigel's old exsiccatae, about a hundred years ago. It came from South
America. Years later Montagne published it as Hypoxylon poculiformis,
and Leveille as Phylacia poculiformis. I can not trace it from Fries'
writings, though no doubt Fries had it and doubtless named it. The old
specimens of Weigel's exsiccatae are found in most museums of Europe,
and all the publishing has been done on this one collection. I have a
nice collection (Fig. 848), made by T. J. Collins in Guatemala.
SPECULATIONS.
The scanty knowledge we have of the real structure of this group
of plants leaves much to speculation. They are all evidently
closely related plants, and I think best classified under one
general head, or genus, Camillea. They are quite different from
the Hypoxylons of the temperate region, although we do not
question that the tropical species are included in Saccardo
mostly under Hypoxylon. When we come to compare what little we
know of the species we find several differences on which
"genera" could be based, and no doubt will be in time. In the
original sense, Camillea might be restricted to the two
cylindrical species, C. Leprieurii and C. Bacillum.