16 FUNGOID PESTS OF CULTIVATED PLANTS. 



harder and more compact, and of a different internal structure and 

 composition. 



Ultimately, and in autumn, these sclerotia send up one or more fleshy 

 stems to the surface of the soil, where the apex at length expands into a 

 cup-shaped form, half an inch or more in diameter, and of a brownish 

 colour, with a fleshy substance, easily broken up with the fingers. These 

 cups are such as were formerly called Peziza, but now Sclerotinia, 

 because developed from a sclerotium (fig. 3). 



The interior of these cups is fertile, and a thin section shows, under 

 the microscope, that it is composed of long cylindrical cells called asci, 

 placed side by side. Each of these asci contains eight spores, or sporidia, 

 uncoloured, and elliptical in form (15-17 x 6-7 ^) : when mature these 

 spores are ejected like a cloud of fine dust. 



Collect the Peziza form in the spring to prevent diffusion. 



Sacc. Syll. viii. 797 ; Gard. Cliron. May 28, 1887, p. 712, fig. 137 ; 

 ib. July 15, 1893, p. 75 ; Mass. PL Dis. p. 157. 



ANEMONE LEAF- SPOT. 

 Septoria Anemones (Desm.). 



We have no record of this leaf-spot hitherto on any but uncultivated 

 Wood Anemone, and upon this it is common. 



HEPATICA DISEASES. 



At least two diseases of Hepatica are known on the Continent, but at 

 present have not made their appearance in Britain. These are the 

 cluster-cups, &cidium Hepatica (Beck), and the leaf-spot, Septoria 

 Hepatica (Desm.). 



Sacc. Syll. in. 2830, vii. 2706. 



The May Apple leaf-spot (Phyllosticta Podophylli) has occurred in 

 gardens on the leaves of Podophyllum peltatum, although of little 

 importance (Grev. xiv. 74). 



COLUMBINE ANTHRACNOSE. 

 Glceosporium Aquilegia (Thiim.), PI. I. fig. 9. 



The leaves of living Columbines are subject to the attacks of a minute 

 fungus of a destructive kind, but hitherto little known in this country. 

 In this case the little dots make their appearance on both surfaces, 

 clustered together on discoloured spots. 



The spots are rather large, irregular, and of an ochraceous colour, with 

 a broad brown margin, caused by the internal mycelium which destroys 

 the vitality of the leaf. The dots represent cavities in the substance of 

 the plant, which contain the numerous conidia, or spores : these are at 

 first borne on short stalks, but soon liberate themselves, and are expelled 

 in a kind of tendril from the orifice in the cuticle. 



In this species the conidia are elliptical, without any division (12-15 

 x 5 p) and colourless. 



