Germination of Tclentosporcs of Ustilagincce. 8 1 



is markedly different from tluit of any of the former species. 

 Winter * figures an elongated promycelium with a pro- 

 mycelial spore, borne laterally upon a long pedicel. He 

 found that the spores germinate freely in water, and that 

 the endospore sends out a process — the promycelium — from 

 the interior of the spore, which grows to 30 or 50/j in 

 length, but is only about 3ju wide. It becomes septate, 

 and gives off short lateral branches, which become spores. 

 They are slightly clavate, and from 6 to 7^ long.f 

 Brefeld \ found that in nahrlosung they only produced 

 mycelial hyphae without spores. Although I have tried 

 many times, I have never succeeded in getting the teleuto- 

 spores of this species to germinate. 



U. longissima (Sow.). — When the spores of this species 

 are placed in water they very soon begin to germinate. 

 The process, as carried on in this species, differs very 

 materially from that which obtains with the previously 

 mentioned species. This, as was first pointed out by 

 Von Waldheim,§ consists in the protrusion of a very 

 narrow straight tube through a small opening in the 

 epispore. This acquires' a length of about 10 or 12^, 

 when it becomes divided below by a septum into two un- 

 equal parts (Plate VII. Fig. 14), the upper of which 

 is about 6 or 8^<, and the lower 3 or 4/x long. The 

 lower portion is, moreover, narrower than the upper, 

 and is the true promycelium, the upper being the pro- 

 mycelial spore. The promycelial spore soon falls off, and 

 the promycelium produces, in about an hour. Von Waldheim 

 says (but I have personally made no observation as to 

 time), a second promycelial spore, which in like manner 

 falls off, and is followed by a third (Plate VII. Figs. 15, 16). 



* Winter in Rabenhorst, " Kryptogam, Flora," vol. i. p. 8i, fig. 4. 

 t "Flora" (1876), Nos. 10, 11. X Brefeld, loc. cit., p. 103. 



§ F. von Waldheim, loc. cit., t. v. figs. 42-46. 



G 



