?3 



supply of nearly every family of leaf -fungi for study, and commencing 

 with January, 1889, right up to the present moment, (March, 1890) 

 there has not been a day on which I could not find at least one or two 

 specimens;. 



As I shall confine most of my remarks to the order Uredinece with its 

 various forms, it will be well to give a general sketch of this interesting 

 order. This fungus confines its ravages to living plants, principally 

 affecting the leaves, but sometimes stems, petioles and organs of fructifi- 

 cation. The fungus consists of a network of fine fibrous-like growths 

 (termed mycelium) beneatli the epidermis of the host, the mycelium travers- 

 ing the intercellular spaces, piercing the cell-walls, and using for its own 

 growth the protoplasm, elaborated by the host for its own use. The 

 effect is to the host, sickness, and often death. It is no uncommon sight 

 along our bank-sides and hedge-rows, to see the remains of some plant 

 that has been reduced to a mere skeletou by the ravages of one of these 

 leaf parasites. Very noticeable amongst these is the common mallow. 

 {ntalva sylvestris.) Every bank during the last year bore some plants 

 affected by this terrible pest. How rapidly these fungi are sometimes 

 disseminated, may be gathered from the fact, that, prior to the year 1869, 

 this fuDgus was unknown in Europe. Since then it has spread with 

 lightning-like rapidity, causing great havoc in the flower garden among 

 the cultivated mallows, as well as in the woodlands among the several 

 wild species. It is no imusual sight to see the' leaves of the common 

 mallow riddled with holes, the fungus destroying the parenchyma of the 

 leaf. 



This is one of the few species having only teleutospores, which, if 

 the conditions are favourable, germinate directly they are mature. The 

 young plant has the power of piercing the epidermis of the host between 

 the cells, or of entering by means of the stomata. The Enchanter's 

 nightshade, ground-ivy, spear-thistle, fcarduus lanceolatusj and the 

 box, have each afforded mo .specimens of this section of the Uredincm 

 having only telentospores. The common nipple-wort, marsh-marigold, 

 bladder campion, dandelion, wood violet, moschatell, {greater hiirnet 

 saxifrage) water mint, garden violet, and primrose, have afforded 

 examples of Uredinece, having the four sorts of spores, and all on the same 

 host plant. The CEcidium of both, the bladder campion and marsh 

 marigold are very rare ; of that on the bladder campion, I found but one 

 infected area, two or three square yards in extent. Of that on the marsh 

 marigold, I found but one or two leaves, but the Puceinia foi'm was very 

 abundant at Gibbons' Brooks, towards the close of the summer. 



Very noticeable upon the wheat and many grasses, was a fungus 

 known as Puceinia graminis. This belongs te a section of tlie Uredinece, 

 having the four forms of spore, but ha^s-ing its spermogones and 

 cscidiospores on one host plant, its uredospores and teleutosporex upon 

 another. Tiie cecidiospores of this particular parasite find their home on 

 the leaves of the common berry. To this same division belongs a 

 parasite, part of whose existence is spent upon the wild garlic or ransoms, 



