80 



JOURNAL OF THE 



[January, 



THE FUNGUS, PHYLLACTINIA GUTTATA, LEV., ON 



LEAVES OF CELASTRUS SCANDENS, L., 



CLIMBING BITTER-SWEET. 



BY THE REV. J. L. ZABRISKIE. 

 {A Description of Exhibit A^o. 2, of the Programme of October '2\st, 1887.) 



The Fungi under which this exhibit is classified, popularly 

 known as " Blights," are interesting on account of both their 

 destructive nature, and their peculiar fruit. To those who ex- 

 amine them for the first time, they usually afford quite a sur- 

 prise in the fact that such striking forms of fruit are borne by 

 such abundantly common, but to them, hitherto unknown 

 plants. 



Phyllactinia guttata. Lev., is no exception to this statement. 



The mycelium is found as a del- 

 icate, evanescent web, on both 

 sides of the leaves of many trees 

 and herbs of our country. The 

 fruit is a globular, dark-brown 

 conceptacle, nearly .01 of an inch 

 in diameter, with a reticulated 

 surface, and furnished with from 

 eight to twelve appendages, which 

 radiate from the horizontal cir- 

 cumference of the conceptacle, 

 and lie nearly flat upon the sur- 

 face of the host-plant. These appendages are hyaline, rigid, 

 and simple. They arise from a prominent bulb at the periphery 

 of the conceptacle, taper gradually to a point, extend for a dis- 

 tance a little greater than the diameter of the conceptacle, and 

 bear a striking resemblance to empty thermometer tubes. Each 

 conceptacle contains from four to twenty sacks, or sporangia, 

 and each sporangium has from two to four smooth, elliptical 

 spores, filled with granular contents. 



Phyllactinia Guttata, Lev. 



