2og BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 



The Gymnosporang:ia or Certar-Apples of the United 



States, by W. G. Farlow. —The pamphlet bearing this title consists 

 of thirty eight quarto pages of letter press and two plates, the latter il- 

 lustrating five United States species of Gyinnosporaiighim. It is pub- 

 lished by the Boston Society of Natural History in their Anniversary 

 Memoirs and is dated, Boston; 1880. 



After giving a brief notice of the different forms of development 

 or alternate generations ascribed to some species of Fiucinia, and re- 

 ferring to the fact that Qilrsted connected the European species of Ra's- 

 telia with those of Gymnosporangium as iL'cidial forms, the author enters 

 upon the principal or descriptive part of the essay in which he collates 

 and remodels the descriptions (with one exception) of oui' previously 

 known species of Gymnosporan\:^ium and Rcestelia. With the descrip- 

 tions are given the American and some of the European synonymy and 

 bibliographical references. Also the principal known localities are 

 recorded, and the references to the authority therefor made. Each 

 description is followed by remarks concerning the habits, appearance, 

 relations and distinctive features of that species. This part ot the 

 monograph abounds in the results of the authors observations and in- 

 vestigations and will be interesting not only to the mycological student 

 but also to every lover of botanical science. 



Podisoma and Hamaspora are not accepted as valid genera, the 

 species sometimes referred to them being all included in Gymnosporan- 

 s;i!im. Of this genus, thus understood, seven species and one variety 

 are described; the form producing globose swellings, on cedar twigs, 

 similiar to those caused by G. inacropiis, being separated from Podisoma 

 fiisciim, to which it was formerly referred, and described under the 

 name Gyint20sporuii}:;ium fusciim, var. globosum, Farlow. The familiar 

 names Gymnosporangium Juniperi, 'Lk. and G. Jiinipennum, Fr. are 

 made synonyms of G. coniciim, DC., although the author expresses 

 some doubt concerning the presence of this species in the United States. 



Gymnosporangiuyn speciosiim, Pk. which occurs in the western 

 mountain region on /unipenis occidentalis, and is described in the Bo- 

 tanical Gazette, Vol. IV., p. 217, is omitted, probably through 

 some oversight. 



Eight species of i?<r.f/<'//i3 are described, but here again a doubt is 

 indicated concerning the validity of R. penicillata, and a possibility 

 of some error suggested concerning R. hxaliua. How difficult it is to 

 he fully satisfied in regard to the true characters and limits of species 

 in these fungi may be interred from the author's remarks under G. 

 clavipes, G. conicum, and G. fusciun, var. f^lobosum, as well as from the 

 statement made that '-European writers have not agreed among them- 

 selves as to the limits of their species." R. Ellisii, Pk. is placed as a 

 synonym under R. botiyapites, Schw., although it is difficult to make it 

 agree with Schvveinitz's description of that species. In order to reach 

 the conclusion that the two are the same we must either suppose that 

 the original description of R. botiyapitcs is erroneous, or that 

 Schweinitz mistook the gall-like swellings of the leaf for peridia and 

 described them as such. Neither siip|)osition would be very compli- 

 mentary to the accuracy of Schweinitz ; but it may be said, that if we 

 admit the last one to be correct, the characters of R. Ellisii will agree 

 passably well with the description of R. botryapites. 



