No. 5.] USTILAGINEiE OF CONNECTICUT. 21 



Hosts and Distr. : Polygonum Convolvulus (?), Mt. Car- 

 mel, May 8, 1904 (last year's flowers) ; Polygonum dume- 

 torum var. scandens, Montowese, Sept. 14, 1903 ; New Canaan, 

 Sept. 29, 1903. 



This species is closely related to the next, but differs in 

 having usually lighter colored and somewhat larger spores, 

 with finer reticulations. 



Ustilago utriculosa (Nees.) Tul. Figs. 4, 21, 54. The 

 sori destroy the essential organs of all of the flowers, and form 

 ovate, dusty, purplish spore masses 3-4 mm. in length, pro- 

 tected at first by the floral envelopes. The spores are violet 

 or purplish, chiefly subspherical or spherical, provided with 

 rather coarse, winged reticulations (2-4/i wide by about 1.5/z 

 deep), and chiefly 9-14^ in diameter. 



Hosts and Distr. : Polygonum Hydropiper, Montowese, 

 Sept. 20, 1902 ; Polygonum hydro piperoides, Whitneyville, July 

 24, 1902; Polygonum lapathifolium, Westville, Sept. 2, 1902; 

 Polygonum Pennsylvanicum, Westville, Sept. 2, 1902; Ham- 

 den, Sept. 11, 1902; Hartford, Oct. 20, 1902; Glastonbury, 

 Oct. 23, 1902; Yalesville, Sept. 11, 1903, Oct. 14, 1904; Monto- 

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

 ter, Oct. 2, 1903 ; Green's Farms, Sept. 30, 1904. 



This is one of the most common smuts of the state, espe- 

 cially on the last host. 



Sphacelotheca DeBy. 



The sori are usually found in the inflorescence (often con- 

 fined to the ovaries), are provided with a false membrane of 

 fungous cells that soon ruptures, disclosing a dusty spore mass 

 and a central columella composed chiefly of plant tissues. The 

 false membrane is formed largely or entirely of definite sterile 

 fungous cells which are hyaline or slightly tinted, and vary 

 in shape from linear to subspherical or cuboidal, and in size 

 from less than to larger than the spores. The spores are like 

 those of Ustilago, simple, free, usually reddish brown, and of 

 small to medium size. Figs. 5, 6, 37, 38. 



Very often groups of the sterile subspherical cells are scat- 

 tered through the spore mass. The columella is usually the 

 remains of the woody plant tissues, and often protrudes above 



