644 SUMMARY OF CUKEENT EESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Peziza vesiculosa.* — L. Petri describes an abnormal form of this 

 fungus. A crowded mass grew on the plaster of an old wall so packed 

 together that the separate individuals could hardly be distinguished, and 

 the hymenium of each specimen was contorted -unto a series of con- 

 volutions something like a Gyromitra, thus adding largely to the hymenial 

 surface. 



Potato Disease.f — V. Peglion examined some tubers that had been 

 dried up and killed. The lower part of the stalk and the underground 

 rhizome were invested with white mycelium, which later formed sclerotia, 

 determined by the author to be identical with those of Sclerotinia 

 Libertiana. The disease, which occurred in North Italy, has not done 

 extensive damage as yet. 



Destruction of Seeds by Fungi.J — Vittorio Peglion noticed that 

 some seeds of trefoil and lucerne were dark in colour and became 

 covered with fungal growth when kept in moist conditions. Alternaria 

 tenuis developed first on the seeds, and later PJeospora Alternaria,. He 

 examined the seeds in their resting condition and found that the tissues 

 were already invaded by fungi and therefore valueless for agricultural 

 purposes. 



Disease of the Alder.§ — Paul Nypels describes a wound parasite, 

 Valsa oxystoma, which attacks and destroys the branches of the tree. 

 The first indication of the presence of the fungus is a yellowing of the 

 epidermis. The bark then gradually turns brown and dies, and the 

 fruits of the fungus burst through as little black specks. From the bark 

 the parasite penetrates to the wood and spreads to other parts of the 

 branch. 



Epiplasm of Ascomycetes.||— A. G-uilliermond has studied spore- 

 formation in a number of forms of Ascomycetes and Hyphomycetes, and 

 more especially Ascobolus marginatus, his aim being to gain further 

 knowledge as to the presence and function of the metachromatic 

 corpuscles. In A. marginatus he found in the mother-cell of the ascus 

 a dense cytoplasm occupying the centre in which lies the nucleus. The 

 two poles are occupied by vacuoles which contain the corpuscles forming 

 the epiplasm of the cell. He describes in detail the formation of the 

 spores, during which the metachromatic corpuscles increase at the 

 expense of the cytoplasm which surrounds the vacuoles, and take various 

 forms. As the spores mature they gradually absorb the epiplasm. 

 Different results were found in other forms examined ; more or fewer of 

 the corpuscles being present in the epiplasm, in some cases none were 

 found. The author considers them to be reserve-bodies. 



Sexuality of the Ascomycetes. IT — P. A. Dangeard publishes a note 

 on the formation of the ascus in Monascus. He finds that there is no 

 nuclear fusion except that which takes place on the origin of the ascus. 



* Nuov. Giorn. Bot. Ital.. x. (1903; pp. 271-2. 



t Italia Agricola, xxxir. (1902) pp. 396-98 (1 pi.). See also Centralbl. Bakt., x. 

 (1903) pp. 290-91. 



% Atti Reale Accad. Lincei, xii. (1903) pp. 270-4. 



§ Soc. Beige Microsc, xxv. pp. 95-105. See also Centralbl. Bakt., x. pp. 266-67. 

 || Arm. Mycol., i. (1903) pp. 201-15 (2 pis.). 

 4 Comptes Rendus, cxxxvi. (1903) pp. 1281-3. 



