178 Puccinia Malvaceae. 



X. Mesospores much more common than teleutospores, subglobose or 

 elliptical, apex more thickened, pale-brown, 17-22 p diam., or 

 25-32 x 17-22 p. 



On leaves of Abutilon crispum Sweet, and Hibiscus sp. (Bailey 1G ). 



Queensland Gulf of Carpentaria and St. George, Oct., 1885 

 (F. v. Mueller in National Herbarium). 



On Abutilon avicennae Gaertn. 



New South Wales North-west part, Oct., 1887 (Bauerlen). 



There are only relatively few bicellular spores present, and at first they 

 were overlooked, the fungus being named Uromyces pulcherrimus B. and C., 

 ^ind U. thwaitesii B.^and Br. 



The so-called mesospores are probably of the nature of one-celled 

 teleutospores, and this species may be regarded as a transition stage from the 

 unicellular Uromyces to the bicellular Puccinia. 



(Plate XII., Fig. 101.) 



Althaea, Lavatera, Malva, Plagianthus. 



111. Puccinia malvacearum Mont. 



Montagne in Gay's Hist. Chili VIII., p. 43 (1852). 

 Cooke, Handb. Austr. Fung., p. 338 (1892). 

 Syflow, Mon. Ured. I., p. 476 (1903). 

 Sacc. Syll. VII., p. 686 (1888). 



III. Teleutosori generally hypophyllous, brown to reddish-brown or 

 orange, but grayish when spores are germinating, compact, round, 

 pulvinate, elongate on the stems, scattered or crowded, seldom 

 confluent, at first covered by epidermis, soon naked. 



Teleutospores fusiform, attenuated at both ends, apex sometimes 

 rounded, slightly constricted at septum or not at all, apical 

 thickening slight, smooth, yellowish-brown, rarely tricellular, 

 35-75 x 12-26 p, average 50 x 17 ^; pedicels firm, long, per- 

 sistent, occasionally septate, sometimes measuring 170 p long. 



X. Mesospores occasional, same colour as teleutospores, somewhat 

 fusiform, slightly thickened at apex, 40-45 x 17-19 p. 



On all green parts of Malva rotundifolia L., M. sylvestris L., Althaea 

 rosea Cav., Lavatera plebeia Sims, and Plagianthus spicatus Benth. Ex- 

 ceedingly common. 



Victoria (Berkeley 2 ) . 



New South Wales (Sacc. and Berl. 1 ). 



Queensland (Bailey 7 ). 



South Australia. 



West Australia (Morrison). 



Tasmania (Rod way l ). 



The sori first appearing were carefully examined for any trace of 

 accompanying spermogonia, bulb none were found. Spores occasionally 

 3-celled, and reaching a length of 77 p. 



This fungus, which was originally described by Montagne, has now 

 overspread the earth and occurs on both wild and cultivated species of 

 Malvaceous plants. Dr. Plowright 5 states that he has a specimen in his 

 herbarium from Melbourne, gathered as early as 1865 on Malva 



