1^6 Sorosporiimi. 



Clinton lias examined the types of the species of Peck, and of Ellis and 

 Everliart, and found them to be the same ; hence, by the law of priority, the 

 smut ought to be called *S. aristidae. But the name of S. aristidae Neg. is 

 given by Saccardo in the Host Index of the Sylloge Fungorum, and as I can 

 find no description of it, one cannot be sure that this and Peck's species are 

 the same, so for the present the name had better be left unaltered. 



The species on this host is entered as U. segetum in Cooke's Handbook- 



Germination. — The specimen used was fully three years old, and the spores 

 germinated in water. In the course of five days the spores had freely ger- 

 minated, producing an elongated straight promycelium, often with vacuo- 

 lated protoplasm, generally 4-celled, and 30-40 /.i long, sometimes up to 50 /i. 

 Conidia were produced at the apex, and laterally, oval in shape and about 

 5 yit long. 



Norton^, has also described the germination of this species. He found 

 that germination begins almost immediately in water, and that a promy- 

 celium of 30-40 /I long is produced. Then a conidiuni is formed at the apex, 

 three to four septa appear in the promycelium, and each cell produces a 

 lateral conidium at its upper end. The conidia soon fall away. In nutrient 

 solutions there is a similar but more vigorous germination. 



(Plate XLI.) 



Panicmn. 

 32. Sorosporium cryptum McAlp. 



Ustilago crypta Mc Alpine, Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S.W., p. 42 (1897). 

 8acc. 8ylL XIV., p. 413 (1899). 

 Sori in spikelets, enveloped by the glumes, and ovaries converted into 

 a black spore mass, with a central core of plant tissue ; provided 

 with an outer membrane. 



Spore-balls somewhat evanescent, variable in size and shape, 

 dark-brown when mature, oblong to oval or elongated ellipsoid, 

 80-150 f.i long. Spores olivaceous, globose to subglobose or ellip- 

 soid ; epispore firm, brown, very delicately echinulate, but in many 

 cases apparently smooth, 8-9 j-i diam. or 7-10 x 6-8 //. 

 On Panicum hicolor R. Br. 



New South Wales— 1896 (Maiden). Braidwood District, Feb., 1909 

 (Eoor.iaan . 

 On Panimm effusum R. Br. 



New South Wales— Glenariff. Darling River (Turner). 

 Queensland — (Bailey). 

 Spore formation. — The spore-balls originate from the central core of plant 

 tissue, from which strands of hyphal tissue proceed in a radiating manner, 

 and in the compartments between, the spore-balls are developed. At first 

 they are colourless and surrounded by an investment of gelatinous sterile 

 hyphae then they become pale olive, and finally dark-oUvaceous to brownish 

 at maturity. The spore-balls are arranged in concentric circles around the 

 central coi-e of plant tissue, the outermost being fully formed and mature. 

 Surrounding the outermost layer is a membrane consisting of epidermis and 

 cortex of the host, lined by a yellow layer of sterile hyphae, which ultimately 

 ruptures to allow the escape of the spore-balls. 



