186 Rhodora [SEPTEMBER 
A CLUSTER-CUP FUNGUS ON LESPEDEZA IN 
NEW ENGLAND. 
A. B. SEYMOUR. 
THE Cluster-cup fungus, Aecidium Jeucostictum, growing on leaves 
of various species of Lespedeza, was first mentioned as occurring in 
North Carolina, being listed in Curtis's Catalogue of the plants of 
that state. It has since been found in southern Illinois (Seymour) on 
Lespedeza repens, in Canada (Dearness) on Z. capitata, and in Alaba- 
ma (Earle). It was first described in Grevillea 3:61. December 1874, 
by Berkeley as Aecidium Orobi var. leucostictum and again in Bull. 
Ill. Lab. 2:226. 1885. There it is well considered a distinct species 
as named above. 
It has never been reported within five hundred miles of Boston 
till now. On the twentieth of July, 1900, I found it fairly abundant 
in several localities on Lespedeza hirta near Shoot-flying hill, about 
five miles west of Hyannis, Mass., on the western end of Cape Cod. 
The Canada specimens were also collected in July, but the southern 
Illinois specimens in May. 
The plant is easily detected by the pale but clear yellow spots 
which occur on the upper surface of the leaf, opposite the cluster- 
cups, and are about 2 mm. in diameter. 
The cups are small, very inconspicuous and in clusters of about 
twenty-five, scattered or arranged in minute “ fairy rings.” 
The question now arises, what is the teleutosporic rust-form of 
this fungus. If it is a heteroecious species, like wheat-rust, which 
grows at one stage on barberry and at another on wheat, the teleu- 
tosporic stage must occur on some plant of wide distribution. If, 
however, the fungus is autoecious, producing teleutospores on the 
same host plant, are the teleutospores known as such, or do they re- 
main to be discovered?) Among known forms, the only one which 
suggests itself is Uromyces Lespedezae. This has both uredo and 
teleutospores known and is abundant on various species of Lespedeza. 
It is very common and widely distributed. If Aecidium Jeucostictum 
is correspondingly abundant, it must be generally overlooked. 
Whatever its affinities, there is no apparent reason why it may not 
be found elsewhere in New England. 
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. 
