1 8 CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [Bull. 



Host and Distr. : Panicum sanguinale, Centreville, Aug. 

 10, Sept. i, 1902; Unionville, Aug. 26, 1902; New Haven, 

 Sept., 1902, Oct. 5, 1904; Westville, Aug. 25, 1903; Monto- 

 wese, Sept. 14, 1903 ; New Canaan, Sept. 29, 1903. 



This is one of the common grass smuts here as elsewhere, 

 and is to be looked for in the fall of the year. 



Ustilago spermophora B. & C. Fig. 52. The brown- 

 black dusty sori occur in the ovaries, infesting one here and 

 there ; they show as small ovate bodies, about 2 mm. in length, 

 extending between the spreading glumes, and are at first pro- 

 tected by a thin ovary membrane at the apex of which are the 

 remains of the styles. The spores are light brown, ovoid to 

 subspherical, usually prominently echinulate, and 8-1 i[i, or 

 occasionally 13^ in length. 



Host and Distr.: Eragrostis major, New Haven, Oct. 31, 

 1902 ; Westville, Oct. 17, 1903. 



The sori usually occur in only a few of the ovaries, and 

 are so inconspicuous that the smut is easily overlooked. Fig. 

 52 shows isolated spikelets of the grass with a single sorus in 

 each. 



Ustilago Eriocauli (Mass.) Clint. The sori occur in the 

 ovaries, scarcely showing between the glumes as slightly 

 swollen ovoid bodies about 1 mm. in length; a thin membrane 

 protects the rather firm, at first semi-agglutinated, but finally 

 dusty, olive-black spore mass. The spores are polyhedral, sub- 

 spherical, or occasionally more elongated, rather prominently 

 verruculose, and 9-15^ in length. 



Host and Distr. : Eriocaulon septangnlare, Whitneyville, 

 Sept. 21, 1902. 



It requires very close examination to detect the flower heads 

 containing this inconspicuous smut, since they resemble the 

 normal ones. The smut should be searched for in the fall. 



Ustilago sphaerogena Burr. Fig. 53. The sori occupy 

 the ovaries, forming ovate bodies, 4-10 mm. in length, which 

 are covered by a tough hispid plant membrane that ruptures 

 irregularly from the apex, disclosing at first an agglutinated, 

 but finally a dusty, olive brown spore mass. The spores are 

 ovoid to subspherical, prominently and sharply echinulate, and 

 9- 1 2/1 in length. 



