XXIL] BORAGE BLIGHT. 145 



its frayed edges, made up of transparent polyhedral cells, 

 are outwardly curved. Springing from the interior are 

 the chains of globose (or slightly polyhedral) spores. The 

 cells of the wall of the cup and the contained spores 

 are nearly the same in size, the spores being some- 

 what larger than the cells ; the difference in the appear- 

 ance of the two under the microscope is very striking, 

 for the component cells of the cup have a thin wall, 

 and are filled with a watery fluid, whereas the spores have 

 two or even three coats, and are filled with granular and 

 lustrous protoplasm. The spores, unlike the constituent 

 cells of the ^Ecidium, are commonly studded with minute 



1000 



FIG. 71. 



Mcidium asperifolii, Pers. Single cup enlarged 50 diameters ; 

 Spore enlarged 1000 diameters. 



sub-globose particles as at B, enlarged 1000 diameters ; 

 these small bodies, as seen attached to the circumference 

 of the spore, are considered to have the same function as 

 pollen-grains, and are termed spermatia. 



As the nature of ^Ecidium is fully explained under 

 sEcidium Berberidis, Pers., Chap. XXIV., it is not neces- 

 sary to describe it in this place, especially as A. asperifolii, 

 Pers., is not a completely typical species. 



It is sufficient here to say that Professor A. de Bary of 

 Strasbourg states that the spores of this JScidiwn will 

 not reproduce an jflcidium on germination, but, on the 

 L 



