1 68 Cintractia. 



the panicle proceeding from it would be affected by the smut, but from higher 

 nodes of the main stem a healthy panicle would be produced. Galls were 

 also formed on the stem independent of the nodes. The membrane consists 

 of epidermis slightly cuticularized with elongated hairs, large-celled cortical 

 parenchyma with starch granules and fibro-vascular bundles showing spiral 

 vessels. 



This species is widely distributed in North America and in the numerous 

 American specimens examined by Magnus, the swellings or galls occurred 

 on the upper internodes of the stem, seldom on the long internodes beneath 

 the well-developed inflorescence, and very rarely on the leaves. The host- 

 plant is cosmopolitan and considered by the late Baron von Mueller 

 to be indigenous to Australia. 



Spore formation. — In small and presumably young galls the individual 

 spores were seen at different stages of development, imbedded in a gelatinous 

 mass, due to deliquescence of the hyphae and small portions of the delicate 

 and distinct hyphae were still visible. Magnus ^ has clearly described and 

 illustrated the formation of the spores. Plate-like outgrowths from the axis 

 penetrate the pustule and branch in various directions (PI. XXXV., Fig. 79). 

 Among these cells as well as those of the axis itself, a mycelium grows and 

 spreads and forms a fungus layer both at the base of the pustule and on the 

 surface of the plate-like outgrowths. This constitutes the matrix or stroma 

 formed by the intercellular mycelial filaments interwoven with one another 

 into a felt-like mass. It is from this matrix the upright hyphae proceed, in 

 which the spores are formed (PI. XXXV., Fig. 80). The spores are first 

 formed at the base of the filaments and proceed outwardly in rows, while 

 separating them into compartments are strands of the elongated hyphae. 

 Not infrequently such a compartment may be further subdivided by the 

 development of a new strand of hyphae, showing that the matrix still retains 

 the power of forming either sterile or spore-forming hyphae. 



It is worthy of notice that the formation of new spores at the base begins 

 with a characteristic twisting of the hyphae into a ball. As the hyphae unroll 

 and become upright, the spores begin to appear. 



Germination has not been described. 



(Plates XXI., XXXV.) 



Rotthoellia. 

 24. Cintractia densa McAlp. 



Sori produced in inflorescence, destroying the individual florets, and 

 arranged in compact dark-brown masses along the rachis, at first 

 covered with greyish membrane, but soon falling away and expos- 

 ing the spores. 



Spores brownish, globose to subglobose or ellipsoid, with finely 

 granular contents, smooth, 6 "5-9 '5 /* diam. or 9-9*5 x 6 '5-8 /i/. 

 On Botiboellia com/pressa L. 



Victoria — Biirnley, near Melbourne, Nov., 1892 (Eobinson). 

 Whittlesea Ranges, Nov., 1898 (C. French, jun.). Ivillara, 

 Oct., 1902, March, 1903, Oct., 1906, March, 1907 (Robinson). 

 Ararat, May, 190*4 (C. French, jun.). Killara, March, 1908. 

 River Flats, Shepparton, April, 1909. Near Melbourne, Dec, 

 1909 (C. French, jun.). 

 The spores form dense compact masses along the rachis which is some- 

 times 5J cm. long. 



