84 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Parasitic Fungus on Rubus dumetorum.*— A fungus causing 

 deformation of the buds and flowers of this plant was detected by 

 H. Diedicke, and determined by H. and P. Sydovv to be a member of 

 the Hyphomycetes, Pc&palopsis deformans. Further observation and 

 examination have led to the discovery of pycnidia, and the fungus is 

 now placed among the Sphasropsidise as HapalospJwria deformans 

 g. et sp. n. The pycnidia are clear brown in colour with a thickish 

 wall that soon falls away and with globose hyaline spores. The myce- 

 lium had attacked the flowers and penetrated the anthers. 



Studies in the Genus Gymnosporangium.t — Along with the 

 diagnoses of new species, Frank D. Kern gives a key for the determina- 

 tion of the teleutospore stage of the fungus. The study of the relation- 

 ship between host and parasite is rendered more complicated owing to 

 the fact that a number of different species are now known to exist on 

 the same host. The teleutospore stage in almost every species grows on 

 only one host — one of the Juniperacete, represented by four genera, 

 Sabina, Jwiiperus, Chemcecgparis, and Libocedrus. All the species are 

 hetercecious, and in none is there any uredo-form. In most of them 

 the development is accompanied by distortion of the leaves or branches. 

 Three new species are described from Alabama, Wisconsin, and Texas. 



Smuts of Sorghum. £ — The grain and kernel smut Splwrotlma Sorghi, 

 and the head-smuts S. reiliana have been described by E. M. Freeman 

 and B. J. C. Umberger. S. Sorghi is the most widely distributed, 

 occurring almost universally wherever Sorghum is grown. Directions 

 are given for dealing with these pests ; hot-water treatment of the seed 

 being especially recommended as being both effective and inexpensive. 



Higher Fungi. — M. E. Hard § has published a volume intended as a 

 guide to distinguish between poisonous and edible forms in the United 

 States. The author discusses the general classification with the structure 

 and life-history of fungi. Attention is given to individual species, and 

 a chapter follows on cooking and on cultivation of mushrooms. Good 

 photographs of the species accompany the text. 



F. Kauffman || describes the methods of examining and preparing 

 specimens of the Higher Fungi, and then gives a list of the species 

 observed by him in West Prussia ; the form, locality, etc., of each species 

 is given ; the whole forming a valuable contribution to the knowledge 

 of German fungi. Only Hymenomycetes are included in the list and 

 the larger fleshy Discomycetes, especially the Helvellacese. 



The same author ^ gives a further list of Boletinese from the same 

 territory. He divides this family into five genera : Suillus, Strobile- 



* Ann. Mycol., vi. (1908) pp. 301-5 (12 figs.). 



t Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, xxxv. (1908) pp. 499-511. 



j Bur. Plant Ind. U.S. Dept. Agric, Circ. No. 8 (1908). See also Bot. Centralbl., 

 cviii. (1908) p. 577. 



§ Ohio Library Co., 1908, 609 pp. (504 figs.). See also Bot. Centralbl., cviii. 

 (1908) p. 526. 



|| Stadt. Oberrealschule Elbing Jahresb., 1906-7. See also Bot. Centralbl. cviii. 

 (1908) pp. 528-9. 



^f Ber. Westpr. Bot. Zool. Ver. Danzig, 1907. See also Bot. Centralbl., cviii. 

 (1908) p. 529, 



