30 The Botanical Gazette. [January, 
shaped. These marked differences between the large and small rest- 
ing-spores would indicate the possibility that the larger ones are sori 
in process of formation, and whose contents have not yet broken up 
into sporangia. 
The sori are usually spherical, occasionally ellipsoidal, and range 
from 75M to 125uin diameter. The outer covering of the sori is essen- 
tially the same as that of the large resting-spores; the inner sack is 
thin and colorless, and encloses numerous sporangia (fig. 6). The 
sporangia are irregularly polyhedral, and have delicate, colorless walls 
filled with finely granular, he yellow contents. They vary from 
20M to 37 in diameter (fig. 
The cells of the tissue selec the spore-bearing cavities are 
usually filled with a red sap that gives to the pustules their purple-red 
color. The hypertrophy seems to be mainly due to multiplication 
rather than enlargement of the cells; these are noticeably increased in 
size only in that part of the pustule immediately surrounding the up- 
per part of the cavity (fig. 3). The enlarged cells have much thinner 
walls than do those of «the normal size, and as the pustule ages, 
these thin walls break away and leave a large opening through the 
epidermis into the cavity below. This exposure of the reddish brown 
substance within probably gives to the older diseased parts the sticky 
feel mentioned above. 
The only representative of the Geranium family given in Far- 
low and Seymour’s Provisional Host-Index as a host for Synchy- 
trium, is Zrodium cicutarium L’Her. The naked-eye appearance of 
the Synchytrium on Geranium is very similar to that of S. papillatum 
Farl., on Erodium, but the sori average considerably smaller, and the 
resting-spores have a much greater range of size. Schroeter mentions 
S. aureum Schroeter, as occurring on Oxadis stricta L., in Silesia, 
but the Synchytrium in question has not the characteristics of S. aur- 
eum. Neither Saccardo’s Sylloge Fungorum, Schroeter’s Krypto- 
gamen-Flora von Schlesien, nor Rabenhorst’s Kryptogamen-Flora von 
Deutschland, CEsterreich und der Schweiz gives Geranium as a host 
for Synchytrium. It is possible that the Synchytrium on Geranium 
Carolinianum is a new species, and if so, I would propose the name 
Synchytrium Geranii. 
Note.—Since writing the above, I find in the herbarium of the Uni- 
versity of Michigan a specimen labeled Syachytrium Geranii, E. & G+ 
College Station, Texas. In reply to my inquiry in regard to it, Mr. 
Ellis writes me that the fungus was first named S. Geranii E. & G, 
and the name was afterwards changed to S. Fairchildii E. & G., but 
neither was ever published.—IpDa CLENDENIN, Baton Rouge, La. 
