THAXTER. — LABOULBENIALES PARASITIC ON CHRYSOMELIDAE. 45 



Ceraiomyces. 



* 



More than a dozen species of this type are now available for com- 

 parison and an examination of them indicates that the genus is so 

 closely allied to Laboulbenia that it may possibly have to be united 

 with it eventually; although for the present, at least, it seems more 

 convenient to retain the name. The cell spoken of in the original 

 description as the "stalk-cell of the appendage," which corresponds 

 to cells III to V in Laboulbenia, is, in some of the species, closely 

 united to the perithecium, as in the West Indian forms described 

 below; and it is therefore necessary to modify the original diagnosis 

 based on two species in which this cell was quite free. Since the type 

 may be regarded as corresponding to a reduced form of Laboulbenia, 

 it has seemed best to refer to this cell as "cell III" of the receptacle; 

 it being understood, however, as has been formerly pointed out, that 

 not only this cell, but the three corresponding cells in Laboulbenia 

 above alluded to, belong strictly to the appendage. The latter, in 

 the species described below, is, for the most part, greatly reduced; 

 its cells becoming more or less obliterated, the antheridia alone being 

 distinctly visible. In some young individuals, however, the funda- 

 mental structure is very like that of the most simple types in 

 Laboulbenia; there being outer and inner cells which give rise to 

 corresponding sets of branches, both of which always bear antheridia. 

 It may be mentioned further that all of the following species are char- 

 acterized by possessing a normal foot, and in no instance penetrate 

 the host by means of a haustorium. 



Ceraiomyces Epitricis now sp. 



Basal and subbasal cells of the receptacle subequal, nearly hyaline, 

 the former slightly suffused with brown just above the foot, the two 

 together not quite as long as the perithecium; cell III clearly defined 

 several times as long as broad, of nearly the same diameter throughout, 

 concolorous with the perithecium. Appendage consisting of a small 

 basal cell obliquely inserted on a dark basal septum and bearing on 

 the inner side two large antheridia subtended by minute cells; and 

 externally a single antheridium, less often two, subtended by a larger 

 cell; the antheridia becoming slightly suffused with brown. Perithe- 

 cium three fifths or more free above the insertion of the appendage, 

 translucent brown, except the small clearly defined flattened stalk-cell; 



