1920] The Lower Basidiomycetes of North Carolina 121 



SACCOBLASTIA 

 Encrusting as a thin or tliickish, uneven layer of a buttery, sub- 

 gelatinous texture ; basidia long, divided into four cells by cross 

 walls and bearing four spores as in the rusts, connected below with 

 a large, pear-shaped sac which furnishes the protoplasm for the ba- 

 sidium. Only a few species have been described, two from southern 

 Brazil (Moller, 1. c.) and one from Poland (Bresadola: Ann. Myc. 

 1:112. 1903). Our species is the tirst from North America. This 

 genus reminds one strongly of the rusts, particularly the genus Gym- 

 nosporangium, where the teleutospore sprouts as soon as formed. If 

 the relationsliip is as close as it seems the pear-shaped sac would be 

 the homologue of the teleutospore. Note that this sac when long is 

 constricted in the middle. 



Saccoblastia ovispora Moller var. caroliniana n. var. 



Plates 33 and 53 



Forming an extensive, crumpled, convoluted cushion of irregular 

 thickness (about 5-12 mm.), the surface quite uneven and nodulated 

 by lumps and folds; color a dull, pallid straw to pallid white, with 

 here and there darker stains absorbed from the rotten wood ; upper 

 surface rather dull, the lower more shining; texture about that of a 

 soft wax, subgelatinous. 



Basidia arising in a very peculiar way from the extension of a 

 thread above a lateral, pear-shaped, hanging sac; the true basidium 

 is very much like that of a rust and is divided into four cells by cross 

 walls, each cell giving off a short sterigma at right angles, into which 

 the contents is poured to form a kidney-shaped spore ; between the 

 basidium and the sac is a more slender stalk of varying length which 

 is attached to the basidium at an angle or crimp. All or most of the 

 contents of the sac and the stalk pass into the basidium and finally 

 into the spores. Just below the attachment of the sac the whole ap- 

 paratus is cut off by a wall from the hypha that bore it and below this 

 wall is often formed one or more lateral branches which extend and 

 soon jiroduce another sac and basidium. Sacs 8.5-16 x 25-45/x, the 

 longer ones often constricted; basidiospores sube!li]>tic, tiattened or a 

 little concave on one side, smooth, white 7-7.7 x 15-17/i. These spores 

 spront soon in water to form smaller secondary spores or sporidia of 

 the same shape whicli iirc nsually jihont 4.S x 12/t and borne on longer 

 sterigmata nji to IH/x long <ii- more 



