682 SUMMAEY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



species he relies strongly on the number of germ-pores in the uredo- 

 and teleutospores. Such comprehensive species as Puccinia bullata are 

 now divided up into a number of smaller species. He also lavs stress 

 on tbe warts and reticulations of the epispore. He divides Puccinia 

 into five groups — Reticulata}, Psorodermag, Bullatae, and two other 

 groups which are not so exactly defined. There are 70 species of 

 Puccinia recorded on Umbelliferae, but only 11 species of Uromijres. 

 There are also some Mcidium, Uredo, and Cseoma forms. The author 

 records several new species. 



Function of Paraphyses in the Uredineae.* — P. Magnus accepts 

 the conclusions arrived at by P. Dietel f as to tbe protective function 

 of the paraphyses ; but he considers they serve yet another purpose ; 

 they raise and burst the epidermis of the host-plant and make room for 

 the growing spores. Magnus gives in this connection an account of 

 several species of Coleosporium. He finds tbat the paraphyses there 

 serve both for protection and for the lifting of the epidermis. In 

 Coleosporium parapliysatum the development is somewhat different. The 

 epidermis is not burst, and the germinating teleutospores push their 

 sterigma between the epidermal cells and bear the sporidia on reaching 

 the open. This species of Coleosporium forms a transition to other 

 genera, more especially to Coleopuccinia. The author hopes to pursue 

 the subject further. 



Experiments with Rusts.} — Klebahn continues the account of his 

 various culture experiments with tbe rusts of Conifers. He has estab- 

 lished satisfactorily the connection between various life-stages of the 

 fungi. He also made successful experiments with JEeidium Pastinacse, 

 Puccinia Angelicse-Bistortse, the rusts of Ribes and Carex, and the 

 Puccinias of various grasses. 



Amanita ovoidea.§ — Matteo Lanzi has examined the so-called 

 " meal" of this fungus, which is found on the stalk below the ring, and 

 which is composed of white cells mostly elliptical in form. 



Germination of Basidiospores.|| — Margaret C. Ferguson has studied 

 the conditions most favourable to the germination of spores of various 

 forms of Basidiomycetes, more especially those of Agaricus campestris. 

 She gives an account of the methods employed, the different media 

 used, the conditions of temperature, &c. It was found that the presence 

 of a bit of the mycelium of Agaricus campestris made possible the ger- 

 mination of all the spores in the culture. The writer closes with a 

 historical account of previous work. 



Hydnacese.^T — Howard J. Banker publishes a historical review of this 

 natural order of Hymenomycetes. He discusses each genus in turn, aud 

 proposes some changes in nomenclature. Radulum is untenable, as there 

 is already a genus Radula in the Jungenuanniaceaa ; he therefore proposes 

 to replace it with Tylodon. Hericium he also considers untenable, but 



* Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges., xx. (1002) pp. 334-9. 



t Of. Hedwigia, Beiblatt xli. (1902) pp. 58-61. 



X Zeit. f. Pflanzenk., xii. (1902) pp. 129-51. 



§ Atti A<'C Pontif. N. Lincei, lv. (1901-1902) pp. 97-100. 



*|| Bull. No. 26, U.S. Dept. of Agr., 1902, 43 pp. (3 pis.). 



i Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, xxix. (1902) pp. 436-48. 



