as 



Teleutospores. 



This genus is so anomalous, that it is now coming to be regarded, not 

 an independent form, but as a biologic genus in connexion with Puccima 

 or I'romyces. 



Teleutospores may be simple, as in Uromyces, or compound as i 

 Puccinia. In the newly-constituted Australian genus, Uromycladtum, the 

 teleutospores are of the Uromyces type, but they have the peculiarity of 

 being produced, not solitary at the end of a stalk, but in groups sometimes 

 accompanied by a colourless vesicle. In Uromyces and Uromycladium 

 there is only one germ-pore, situated at the apex, and the membrane is 

 generally smooth, although it may be warted or striated in Urpmycladuim. 



As yet there are known only two Australian genera with compound 

 spores Puccinia and Phragmidium, in the one case consisting of two spore- 

 cells, and in the other of three or more in a vertical row. 



'uccinia the germ-pore of the upper cell is at the apex, and that of 

 the lower at the side just beneath the transverse partition. 



In Phragmidium, the number of germ-pores/ varies in Australian species 

 from one to three in each cell. Dietel 1 has stated that there is only one 

 germ-pore in each cell of P. barnardi, but three were invariably found by 

 me in examining a large amount of material. 



Para-physes are not frequently found in teleutosori, probably because 

 teleutospores are generally so well constructed for withstanding variable 

 conditions that they do not require such protection. The best-known ex- 

 ample is that of the old species, Puccinia rubigo-vera, now split up into 

 several, such as Puccinia bromina and P. triticina, in which the teleuto- 

 sori are divided into compartments by the clavate brown paraphyses. (Note 

 3, p. 75.) It is worthy of note that the teleutospores are capable of ger- 

 mination in the autumn of the year in which they are produced. There are 

 no other Australian species in which paraphyses are confined to the teleuto- 

 sori, but they may occur in connexion with the latter as well as with uredo- 

 sori in Puccinia magnusiana, P. -pnrpurea. and Uromyces -phyllodiorum. 



The germination of the teleutospores of Puccima graminis in Australia 

 was tested under different conditions, and the most important condition 

 seems to be the season of the year, for they were only known to germinate 

 during the spring months. Badly rusted straw was placed in the cool 

 stores for three months, one portion being kept at a temperature of 

 4 deg. C., and another at- 18 de'g. C. A third portion of the same straw 

 was simply kept in the opem, and when tested for germination in the spring 

 only the spores exposed to the weather germinated. 



Another feature of germination worthy of mention is the way in which 

 it is spread over a period of time, and the spores in the different sori are 

 not all ready at once. There seems to be a succession of ripening, for 

 among a patch of sori only one out of every fifteen or twenty will be found 

 to contain spores capable of germination. This shows the necessity for 

 germinating spores in bulk when tests are being made, for you might happen 

 to select spores which would not germinate, being taken from an unripe 

 sorus. Not only are the spores ready for their work of germination at dif- 

 ferent times, but the sporidiola are produced in succession, for you never 

 find the promycelium bearing its four spores all at once, at least in P. gra- 

 minis. This is well shown in Plate XV.. with the germinating teleutospores 

 of P. malvacearum. 



