Cintractia. 167 



On Andropogon australis Spring. 



Queensland — Kockhampton (National Herbarium). 



This species is labelled Ustilago carho var. columeUifera, but the develop- 

 ment of the spores from the central columella outwards indicates that it 

 belongs to the genus Cintractia. 



Spore formation. — A cross-section made just at the base of the ovary 

 where it joins the stalk shows a central core of plant tissue, consisting of 

 fib ro -vascular and parenchymatous tissue. Fungus filaments permeate it 

 towards the outside and appear as a layer from which the spores are pro- 

 duced. At the base the younger spores are seen which pass into the mature 

 form and constitute a dense dark agglutinated layer, the whole being at first 

 enclosed in the wall of the ovary. 



I am indebted for the determination of this host-plant to Professor Ewart, 

 Government Botanist, but when distorted by the fungus, determination is 

 rendered difficult. 



It differs from U. Ischaemi Fckl, found on the same genus, in which the 

 sori often involve the entire inflorescence, reaching a length of 10-30 mm., 

 and provided with a fungus membrane which soon ruptures. 



(Plate LIII.) 



Panicum. 

 23. Cintractia crus-galli (Tr. and Earle) Magn. 



Magnus, Ber. Deut. Bot. Ges. XIV., p. 392 (189G). 



Sacc. Syll. XIV., p. 421 (1899). 



Ustilago crus-galli Tracy and Earle, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, XXII., 



p. 175 (1895). 

 Cintractia seyniouriana Magnus, Ber. Deut. Bot. Ges. XIV., 

 p. 217 (1896). 

 Forming large irregular or elongated swellings which are thro\\-ii into 

 numerous brain-like folds, generally largest and most condensed 

 at the nodes and elongated or less swollen along the internodes, 

 up to 9 cm. long and 3 cm. at broadest part ; isolated minute pus- 

 tules also occur only 2 mm. long, involving the panicles, but very 

 rarely on leaves. 

 The sori are protected by a tough hispid membrane, which is derived 

 from the parent plant as it contains fibro-vascular bundles, and 

 this membraiie ultimately ruptures irregularly, disclosing the black 

 powdery spores. 



Spores formed from a matrix or stroma and arranged in rows 

 with separating walls between of long-membered hyphae, globose 

 to ellipsoid, olive-brown, densely echinulate, 8-11 /i diam. or 8-10 x 

 <J'5-7 //, occasionally reaching a length of 11 '5 /'. 

 On Panicum crus-galli L. — BarnyarJ-grass. 



New South Wales— Kooty Hill, March. lOOii and Marcli. 1907 

 (Hattrick). 

 The plants were found grownig m sandy soil and quite a number of them 

 ■were affected. In some cases, a healthy inflorescence was produced from 

 a lower node, and a large gall formed around an upper node, while the in- 

 florescence proceeding from it would be destroyed by the smut. In other 

 oases, several larger or smaller galls would be formed at a lower node and 



