416 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Malusio Turconi * describes a disease that attacked a fine bamboo 

 {Bamhiisa mitis) in the Botanic Gardens at Pavia. The first symptoms 

 of the disease were brown spots or streaks on the stalks, mostly towards 

 the apex, which finally became dotted with black pustules. Turconi 

 found both stages of the fungus — Scirrhia Bambnsse sp. n., the perfect 

 ascigerous stage, and the pycnidial stage, MeJanconiiim Bamhmae sp. n. 

 He proved satisfactorily the parasitic nature of the fungus by successful 

 infection experiments on other species of Bamhusa. 



Yittorio Peglion f contributes a study of the morphology and the 

 conditions of development in Sclerotiiiia trifoUornm, a disease of clover. 

 Xumerous sclerotia were formed on the clover plants, and from these 

 were obtained apothecia and spores. Cultures were made in artificial 

 media, and a conidial stage was produced resembling a VerticiUimn. The 

 author gives various data as to the prevalence and virulence of the 

 disease in Italy and other countries. 



Lichens. 

 (By A. LoBRAiN Smith, F.L.S.) 



Antarctic Lichens % — Hue has worked out in great detail the 

 lichens brought back by the Second French Antarctic Expedition. He 

 states that it is the most important collection yet made in those regions, 

 and especially praises the specimens ; large blocks of stone were brought 

 home covered with the various species, and showing the associations of 

 the different plants. These rocks are often entirely covered with 

 crustaeeous species which grow there to perfection, being undisturbed 

 by snails or insects ; it is also possible to trace their development from 

 the earliest granules to advanced stages of thalliue growth. 



Hue lists in all 120 species, but as 15 of these came from the 

 Magellan regions, only 111 are truly Antarctic. Of these 90 are new 

 to science, 21) belonging to the genus Buellia. He emphasizes the 

 need of anatomical investigation in order to determine lichens with 

 accuracy. By anatomical examination he proves that UmhiUcaria 

 BiUenu does not occur in the south ; the plant so named is a new species, 

 U. rvfidula, or rather it belongs to a new genus, and is now Gharcotia 

 rufiduld. 



North African and Italian Lichens. § — C. Zanfrognini has worked 

 out a collection of lichens from Libya made by A. Vaccari and 

 others during the Italian war in that province. Most of them are fairly 

 well-known crustaeeous species of Verrucarise, Lecideae, Lecanorae, &c., 

 and are accompanied by notes on development, &c. ; some of them are 

 very fully described. 



* Atti Real. Acad. Lincei, cccxiii. (1916) pp. 528-32. 

 t Atii Real. Acad. Lincei, cccxiii. (1916) pp. 521-4. 



X Charcot's Deuxieme Exped. Antarct. Fr. (1908-10). Lichens (1915) 202 pp. 

 (26 figs.). 



§ Atti Real. 1st. Yen., Ixxiv. (1914-15) pp. 1071-1101. 



