58 FUNGOID PESTS OF CULTIVATED PLANTS. 



become troublesome ; however it scarcely seems to have appeared since, or 

 during the past three or four years. 



The leaves are disfigured by smoky patches on the surface, with a 

 minutely velvety appearance, caused by the threads of this mould, which 

 are erect, slender, and unbranched, but somewhat flexuous, and at length 

 septate and olive. The conidia are terminal, sometimes briefly con- 

 catenate, narrowly elliptical, at first continuous, then one or two septate 

 (25-35 x 10 /i) the surface rough with minute scabrous points or warts, 

 but with a rather thicker and darker epispore than in the allied species. 



It has not yet been recorded elsewhere. 



Two or three other species of this genus are known in Britain, and all 

 of them have proved to be destructive pests, such as Heterosporium 

 echinulatum on Carnations, and Heterosporium gracile on Iris. 



The only remedy suggested in these cases has been spraying with 

 ammoniacal copper carbonate solution, and clearing away all dead leaves. 



Grevillea, xvi. 109. 



SOLDANELLA BUST. 



Puccinia Soldanellce (DC.). 



In this instance, as the endophytes are rare, we may include all the 

 stages which occur upon the leaves of Soldanella alpina under one notice. 



The cluster-cups (^Ecidium) are scattered over the lower surface of the 

 leaves, and do not present any remarkable difference in appearance from 

 the same kind of endophyte on other plants. The fecidiospores are sub- 

 globose or somewhat angular, with a finely granulated surface, and are of 

 a yellow colour (20-26 x 17-20 /u). 



The pustules of the Uredo are developed on the upper surface, 

 and are minute, gregarious, and brown, when ruptured encircled by the 

 remains of the cuticle. The uredospores are rounded, ovoid, or elliptical 

 (20-32 x 20-30 p), with a rough surface. 



The teleutospores are produced in the same or similar pustules, and 

 are ovate, somewhat irregular and somewhat apiculate at the apex, brown 

 at first, with a short pedicel, the surface reticulated finely. 



The entire fungus is reported from France, Germany, Switzerland, 

 and Italy, but we are not aware that any form except the Mcidium has 

 been found in Britain. 



Sacc. Syll. vii. 2181; Cooke M.F. 195; Cooke Hdbk. No. 1608; 

 Plowr.Brit. Ured. 159. 



A Soldanella leaf-spot (Septoria Soldanellce) with dark spots and 

 thread-like sporules (20-30 x 1 yu) has been recorded as occurring in Italy. 



GENTIAN BUST. 

 Puccinia Gentian (Strauss.), PI. IV. fig. 63. 



Although Gentians are known to have been affected by ten separate 

 diseases, only. one of these has at present been detected in this country. 

 In 1885 the above-named parasite first appeared in a bed of Gentiana 

 acaulis in a public garden, where it was previously unknown. It com- 



