234 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



organic combination appears to be needful for its luxuriant development. 

 It thrives better on solid than in fluid media. 



New Mode of Formation of the Oosperm in Piptocephalis. * — 

 Under the name P. Tieghemiana sp. n. M. L. Matruchot describes a new 

 species of Piptocephalis, in which the mode, of formation of the ovum 

 (oosperm) differs from that in P. Freseniana, and indeed from that in 

 any other species of Syucephalideae in which it is at present known. 

 Fusion of the two gametes takes place; but the septa which, in the 

 conjugating branches, separate the gametes from the body of the plant, 

 are placed high up, instead of dividing each branch into two nearly equal 

 parts. Hence the ovum is developed between the two conjugating 

 branches, instead of above the point of junction of the sexual elements, 

 as in P. Freseniana. The author argues from this in favour of Van 

 Tieghem's view that sexual characters are of subordinate importance in 

 a natural classification of the Mucorineae. 



New Genera of Fungi. — In a collection of Fungi from Natal, Herr 

 P. Sydowf finds a representative of a new genus belonging to the Disco- 

 mycetes (Patellariaceae), of which he gives the following diagnosis : — 

 Ascomata superficialia (phyllogena), subiculo atro radiante conidiophoro 

 inserta, applanato-disciformia, nigricantia, ambitu subanguloso, excipulo 

 obsoleto, hinc non marginata ; asci elongati, octospori ; sporidia obovato- 

 oblonga, 1-septata, f uliginea ; paraphyses apice coerulescentes, ibique stra- 

 tum brunneum formantes; conidia obovato-oblonga, continua, fuliginea, 

 catenulata. 



Among a collection of Brazilian Uredineae, Herr P. Dietel describes 

 a number of new species, and the following new genera : — 



Anthomyces. Capitula teleutosporarum e cellulis juxtapositis 3 v. 

 pluribus composita, formam gemmse imitantia, cellulis sterilibus haud 

 inflatis, e pedicello simplici orientibus fulta ; uredosporae solitaries. 

 Nearly related to Bavenelia. 



Didymopsora. Teleutosporae bicellulares, in columellam cylindricam 

 pseudoperidio non indutam ut in Cronartio arete conjunctaa. Separated 

 from Mcidium. 



Prof. B. D. Halsted § has found on Parnassia caroliniana a parasitic 

 fungus which he makes the type of a new genus Erysiphopsis, belonging 

 to the Erysipheae, nearly allied to Erysiphe and Phyllactinia, with the 

 following diagnosis : — Appendages rigid, brittle, usually nearly straight, 

 and frequently slightly swollen at the tip. 



A new genus of Tuberaceas, Gyrocratera, is described by Herr P. 

 Hennings.|| It is allied to Genea and Hydnorystis, but differs in having 

 a single cavity with roundish orifice and brown coarsely warted spores. 



Parasitic Fungi. — The first appearance of an Uncinula in Australia 

 is recorded by Mr. D. McAlpine,^ in a new species, U. australiana, on 

 Lagerstrcemia ovalifolia. Also Puccinia Galthse on Caltha introloba. 



* Comptes Kendus, exxix. (1899) pp. 1034-6. 



t Hedwigia, xxxviii (1899) p. 133. . I Tom. cit, pp. 253-5. 



§ Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, xxvi. (1899) pp. 594-5. 



|| Verbandl. Bot. Ver. Brandenburg, xli. (1899) p. 7. See Hedwigia, xxxviii. 

 (1899) Beibl., p. 279. 



1 Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, xxiv. (1899) pp. 301-3 (1 pi.). 



