Gytnnosporanghaii.'] FUNGI. 361 



150. Gymnospokanoium. Dec. Gymnosporangium. 



Sporidia uniseptate, stalked, growirjg- from the erumpent 

 stroma which is formed from the matrix, and agglutinated by 

 gelatine into an irregular naked expanded mass. — Name, /u/xvoj, 

 naked.^ and sporangium. 



I. G. Juniperi, Lk. {common Juniper Gymnosporangium). 

 NeesJ. 23. a. Lk. Sp. 2. p. 127. Fr. St/sL BIyc. v. 3. p. 506. 

 — Tremellajuniperina, Linn. Suec. p. 428. 



are distinct traces of the fibro- vascular bundles, and if 1 mistake not some- 

 times even in U. ser/etiim. A work, however, has been lately published, con 

 taining an account of very extended observations on numerous species, by 

 Unger, entitled '' Die Exantheme der PHanzen und Einige mit diesen ver- 

 wandte Krankbeiten der Gewachsen," V'ienne, 1823, in which an attempt is 

 made to show tliat the Hypodermous Fungi are merely cutaneous disorders of 

 vegetables, analogous to tliose of animals, arising from a derangement of the 

 respiratory functions. Extracts of this are given in Ann. des Sc. Hat. n. s. 

 V. 2. p. 193, and it is to these I am indebted for my knowledge of the work, as 

 1 have not met with the book itself. His reasoning appears to me most incon- 

 clusive, and the main result of bis investigations is, that they are not moditi- 

 ciitions of cellular tissue, and that they almost always originate at the stomata, 

 the organs which serve for the gazeous and vaporous exhalations of plants. 

 Tlie intercellular spaces, according to M. Unger, are gorged with the super- 

 abundant juices, which coagulate; one of these either immediately beneath 

 the epidermis, or the first, second or third layer of cells becomes larger than 

 the rest, and the mass with which it is replete', is resolved into grains, which 

 originate from the centre towards the circumference, producing in fact, an 

 Uredo ; sometimes the mass acquires an enveloping cellular membrane, and 

 then is resolved as before from the centre to the circumference into granules, 

 such productions being what authors refer to JEcidium ; the origin of this 

 pseudo-peridium is obscure, but as, if JNI. Unger be correct, it is perfected 

 before the granules, it is most probably given out iVom tlie surrounding cellular 

 tissue, in consequence, as he expresses it, of a reaction of the mass of coagulated 

 juice against their walls; and it is not to be considered a single stratum of 

 sporidia soldered together, as has sometimes been supposed. Its nature has 

 not however been at present sufiiciently investigated. It frequently is mudi 

 elongated above ; and it would be interesting to observe the change which 

 takes place in the form and size of its component ct-lls during the progress of 

 its development. It is at any rate quite clear that it is not a mere modification 

 of the cuticle alone; wliatever relati(»n it may bear to the subjacent cells of the 

 parenchyme. In a third citse iigain, the granules are stipitate aiid sometimes 

 much elongated and septate, forming Puccinia, &c. In an early stage it is 

 probable that the greatei- j)ortion of Urcdines have the granules stipitat*- ; 

 some are so, and tliose very (li^tin{•t from Pucciniic, as well as others wliicli 

 are doubtful, even after the epidermis is ruptured. There is nothing to sliow 

 that such pnKluctions are a mere organization of this copious supply of nutri- 

 tious juices; analogy is decidedly ngainst such a notion; and indeed as it 

 appears to me, tin' otnclusimi to In- drawn by any mind not prcposscNsed with 

 a predilection for doctrines kindred to that of i'(|uivo(;il generation, is simply 

 that in the juesent state of knowledge the Ili/pndirmii are as much entitled to 

 lank amongst Eungi as any other species. Any conclusion to the contrary is 

 at present mere assertion. indeed too much is proved by M. Unger's inves- 

 tigations, for, accordini,' to his own testimony, certain Muccdims spring from 

 Stomula, as well as what be c(»nsiders mere eruptions, and the assertion that 

 the one arise from putrefaction and the other from a sort of lermenl.ition, is 

 little more than stating the fact that the one spring generally from dead and 

 the otlnr from living vegetables. Whatever may be thought, however, of the 



views entertaineil Ity M. I'nuer, tl tion «»f Tries that su( li proihntions 



are merely altered ci-llnlar tissue, is certainly altogether disj. roved, and it my 

 own opinions coincided with those put forth by M. I iiiier, it certainly uonld 

 be most unjustifiable, witli no belter evidence, and 1 kno\> of none such, to 

 pass over in silence the numerous recor<led species. 



