oo Keport of the Botanist. 



The spores germinate readily in water and produce germ tubes 

 from either one or both cells, from any point of the cell wall. 

 The hyphre or germ tubes probably gain access to the interior of 

 the rusted carnation leaf through a stomate. Once within and 

 adjacent to the rust hyphse, the parasitism begins and the two 

 plants become closely interwoven. The growth of Darluca is 

 most abundant close to the pustules of the rust. The leaf tissue 

 beneath the infested spot seems filled with the hypha3 of the two 

 fungi. Often a dark layer is developed af the original surface of 

 the leaf, above which rise the spores and the pycnidia of the two 

 fungi. The dark color may not be confined to a mere layer or 

 band, but may extend to the whole of the dense mass of hypha3, 

 almost totally obscuring the structure of the carnation leaf. 



The pycnidia are imbedded for two-thirds of their height 

 among the spores of the rust, showing only the dark upper third 

 when seen from above. The surface is smooth and rather shiny, 

 and is marked with a fine irregular network of cells. At matur- 

 ity an opening is formed at the apex through which the spores 

 exude when wet. In the specimen figured (Plate III, fig. .3) a 

 thousand spores were visible, and more were, constantly issuing 

 from the pycnidium at the left. 



The same fungus infests the rust of the asparagus; and it may 

 be that, either by growing garden asparagus in the houses or by 

 spraying the carnations with water in which Darluca infested 

 asparagus has been broken a sufiicieut abundance of Darluca 

 may be obtained to check the ravages of the rust. 



At the present writing it is not known to what extent rust may 

 be checked by the Darluca. It can not be expected to eradicate 

 rust from a greenhouse, but its influence is good and it is believed 

 to be worth the florist's while to encourage its growth. 



