24 DISEASES OF FIELD & GARDEN CROPS. [CH. 



abnormal growth of chlorophyll or leaf -green, and in 

 other ways causing a morbid enlargement of the tissues, 

 termed hypertrophy. A transitory and spurious appear- 

 ance of unusual health and vigour is not peculiar to the 

 attacks of fungi, for insect injuries often excite the same 

 appearances. It is well known that the largest and- best- 

 looking pears in orchards in the early summer are often 

 swarming with larvse. The larvae stimulate the growth 

 of the young pears ; probably this abnormal growth is 

 an effort of nature to repair an injury. The larger 

 fruits fall to the ground and decay about the end of 

 May. 



Mr. A. Stephen Wilson succeeded in raising such a 

 large crop of Pezizce from his Sclerotia that he supplied 

 us, as well as the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, and several other 

 botanists, with living examples. They came up in large 

 numbers in a garden bed where the Sclerotia had been 

 thrown the previous year. The Pezizce were all attached 

 to the Sclerotia, and Mr. Wilson even detected the Pezizce 

 growing from potato stems with the Sclerotia in situ. 

 Mr. Wilson considered the Sclerotium to be S. varium, P., 

 a well-known pest of carrots, parsnips, cabbages, Jerusalem 

 artichokes, etc. Mr. Berkeley came to the conclusion that 

 the Peziza was a new species, to which he gave the name 

 P. postuma, Berk, and Wils. in the Gardeners' Chronicle for 

 1 5th Sept 1883. Whatever the name of the Peziza should 

 be, there is one thing quite certain, and that is, the plant 

 is new to the scientific observers of this country. The 

 genus Peziza derives its name from Pezica, a word used 

 by Pliny to denote a fungus ; and Messrs. Berkeley and 

 Wilson termed the plant now under description postuma. 

 because the perfect plant is produced at a much later 

 period than the Sclerotium. 



There are at least thirteen or fourteen of these long- 

 stemmed Pezizce described, and the present plant comes so 

 near Peziza ciborioides, Fr., P. sclerotiacea, Ces., and P. 

 sclerotiorum, Lib., that it is almost impossible to distin- 



