BRIEPER ARTICLES. 
SOME PECULIARITIES IN PUCCINIA TELEUTOSPORES.' 
(WITH SIX FIGURES) 
Tue distinguishing characteristics of many Puccinia teleutospores 
are very slight, while on the other hand such species as P. podophylli, 
coronata, pruni, etc., are, in typical specimens, at once set aside from all 
others by the markings of their epispores. In many species, variations 
in the number and position of the septa are characteristic. Generally, 
however, the shape and size of the spores are fairly constant, and this is 
particularly true of P. graminis Pers. and allied gramineous rusts. 
Occasionally one-celled spores are found, due perhaps, as Professor 
Burrill* suggests, to insufficient nutrition. Eriksson and Henning’ 
call attention to the so-called mesospores and other peculiarities found 
among spores from closed sori of P. graminis, attributing them to the 
pressure of the epidermis, and Bolley* in regard to the anomalous 
shapes found among spores says “certain it is that pressure within the 
crowded sorus is capable of producing an almost unlimited number Of 
irregularities in the spore forms.” J. A. Warren’ has written regard- 
ing some very striking variations in the spores of P. Windsorie Schw. 
while Dietel,° writing on peculiarities in Puccinia spores, refers to the 
finding of a well-developed four-celled spore of P. graminis, and habe 
time to time the odd shapes of rust spores have been noted by various 
writers. : 
Puccinia heterospora B. & C. is a species showing many interesting 
variations, giving as they do an indication of the close relationship © 
*Contribution from Botanical Dept. Iowa State College of Agriculture - 
Mechanic Arts, no. 16 
* Parasitic fungi of Illinois 1: 171. 1885. 
3Die Getreideroste 129. #/. 4. 
‘Sub-epidermal rusts. Bot. Gaz. 14: 139-144. p/."75. Je. 1889. 
5 Notes on the variations of Puccinia Windsoriae, Am. Nat. 32: 779-781: 4 kes 
1898. 
: Jatt 32 * 
*Beitrige zur Morphologie und Biologie der Uredineen. Bot. Centralblatt 3 
86-88. 1887, 
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