A MOUNTAIN FORM OP CAREX PTTLICARIS 109 



lion, labelled " Marais a Gedre, Htes. Pyrenees, Bordere, Juin, 1873." 

 Two plants in Herb. Mus. Brit., one from tbe younger Reichenbach 

 (Heller, Dresden), and tbe other from Gaudin (A la Tour de Gourze, 

 supra la Vaux), show the same habit and erect perigynia; and a third 

 Norwegian example received from Vahl is probably identical. This 

 material indicates that this form is to be found in mountainous 

 districts throughout the range of the species. 



It may be added that G. pulicaris has long been known to grow 

 on the dry limestone downs at Clifton, Bristol — a strange habit for a 

 bog-loving species — and specimens from this locality in Herb. C. 

 Bailey show some resemblance to the montane form. 



THE BRITISH SPECIES OF MILESINA. 

 By W. B. Grove, M.A. 



During February of the present year, Mr. D. A. Boyd has sent 

 me from the neighbourhood of West Kilbride, Ayrshire, from two 

 localities several miles apart, the fronds of ferns on which were 

 pustules of two species of Milesina new to Britain. The rusts of 

 this genus seem to be exceedingly rare everywhere, yet on these leaves 

 the pustules occurred in great abundance. It will be interesting to 

 know if observers in other localities can now be as successful as 

 Mr. Boyd in finding these minute parasites. 



One of the species was M. Kriegeriana, which was abundant on 

 Lastrea spinulosa, and less so on L. dilatata (= aristata), and 

 L. Filix-mas. The other was Milesina Polysticlii (Wineland) 

 comb, nov., on Polystichum angulare. Miss Wineland records this 

 species, which she found on Polystichum munitwn, under the obsolete 

 genus Milesia (Milesia Polystichii (sic), n. sp., in The Uredinales of 

 Oregon, Brooklyn Botanic Garden Memoirs, 1918, i. 214). These 

 fungi are hypophyllous, and occur chiefly on fading fronds ; if such a 

 frond is found in which some of the pinnules are brownish and 

 beginning to wither, while the rest is still green, one may find, on 

 looking at the underside of the affected parts, a number of minute 

 yellowish-brown hemispherical pustules, |— | mm. in diameter, usually 

 not on the part occupied by the sori of sporangia. Within these 

 pustules, which are enclosed in a very thin pale-brownish peridium, 

 opening tardily by a central pore, there may be found a number of 

 colourless uredospores, ovate or oblong, filled with granular or oily 

 protoplasm, and adorned by a number of minute sparsely scattered 

 acute spines. The teleutospores of Milesina have never yet been 

 found in Britain (and rarely elsewhere) ; they are hyaline and septate, 

 and should be looked for as lying ivitliin the cells of the dead or 

 dying fern-leaf. 



This opportunity may be utilised to enumerate what is now known 

 of the British Fern-Rusts : — 



Hyalopsora Aspidiotus Magn., on Polypodium Pryopleris. Very 

 uncommon. 



EL. Polypodii Magn., on Gystopterisfragilis. — Scotland, N. Devon, 

 Derbyshire, Wales. 



