386 



SOME REMAEKS ON THE PUCGINIA ATTACKING 

 GALIUM. 



[By the Rev. J. E. Vize, M.A., F.R.M.S.]. 



The occurrence of a plant when for many years one has been searching for it 

 gives joy to the discoverer. In the month of July in this year I was fortunate 

 enough to find an CEcidium growing on Oalium aparine (Kze), and before putting 

 it under the press for the purpose of drying, I noticed on the lower part of the 

 stems of the Galium, some intensely black bullate swollen patches which were 

 unhesitatingly Puccinia. They might fairly be taken to be the teleutospore of the 

 CEcidium. At once I took, it to be Puccinia difformis, a fungus which is very 

 unusual in England — at least, as far as my searchings have gone ; so also in those 

 of Dr. Cooke, because I well remember at the Woolhope Foray last year, at the 

 Forest of Dean, when Puccinia acuminata was found on Galium saxatile, he asked 

 if I had ever met with P. difformis. My answer was. No. He had only found it 

 once, I believe, the locality being Shere, in Surrey. 



Thus far we have noticed two Puccinias growing on Galium, P. difformis on 

 Galium aparine, and P. acuminata on Galium saxatile. But there are two other 

 Puccinias also growing on Galium according to the Handbook, namely, 

 P. Valantim (Pers) on Galium cruciatum and Puccinia Galiorum (Lk) on various 

 species of Galium. 



On referring to Prof. Saccardo's Sylloge, vol. vii., p. 600, he gives no less 

 than 13 species of Galium, two of Asperula, and one of Ruhia as the host plants of 

 P. Gala (Pers). As a synonym he gives Puccinia difformis (Kunze), about 

 which we shall say a little presently. Let me merely say with regard to 

 P. Galiorum that this plant has its four forms of spores on the same plant in 

 orthodox succession, and they are easily traced from the oecidial stage to the 

 teleutospore. 



At page 685, Prof. Saccardo gives Puccinia Valantice (Pers) as growing on 

 five species of Galium, and two of Mollugo ; four of the Galium having been the 

 habitats of the previously recorded P. Galii, against which there may be, and 

 probably are, no objections to be laid. Both the two species of Saccardo, as 

 inserted in his work, are according to my frequent additions of knowledge 

 occurring continually, one preceded by a Puccinia, the other never. 



We have now Cooke's Microscopic Fungi, last edition, giving four Puccinias 

 on Galium ; Saccardo's Sylloge gives only two. 



We now come to the latest date to see what further records may be found. 

 About P. Galiorum (Lk) everything is most satisfactory, so {it is about Puccinia 

 Valantim (Pers. ) which cannot be mistaken for the other plant, inasmuch as it has 

 large bullate patches of sori, as contrasted with the sori of P. Galiorum, which are 

 sparse and small. Even an ordinary observer would scarcely fail to detect 

 the difference. 



