BRIEFER ARTICLES 
A NEW SPECIES OF NEOVOSSIA. 
(WITH ONE FIGURE) 
Durinc September 1899, while collecting near Colo, Iowa, I found 
that the ovaries of Phragmites communis were affected by a peculiar 
smut. The specimen proved so interesting that Dr. Pammel, to whom 
| referred the matter, sent material to Dr. Farlow, who replied: 
“Your spores are perhaps a trifle smaller and have a slightly more 
marked epispore than in Meovossia Moliniae. Still the differences are 
very slight, and without further study I should not know whether to call 
them Specifically different or not. You may have the material to 
“ermine this point.” Accordingly Professor Hume, who is working 
= the Ustilaginez of Iowa, after a thorough examination and com- 
Parison of the specimens, decided that it was sufficiently distinct for a 
neW species, 
ge genus was founded and distributed by von Thiimen,’ who 
tag Vossia. As this name had been given to a genus of grasses, Kor- 
ca changed it to Neovossia. Saccardo,? in his treatment of the 
oda refers this fungus to Zi//etia Moliniae (Thiim.) Wint., 
‘mg o Vinter Dietel,* in describing the Ustilaginex and Tille- 
“tage Neovossia of Kérnicke. Massee,° in his ropes of 
rity ae Tilletia, refers it to Neovossia, saying : “This species differs 
return oe . - mode of spore germination, and must consequently 
Sia, and ¢ Aggie Quite recently, Magnus’ has discussed Neovos- 
Brefelq? ena it separated from Tilletia by the fact, discovered by 
_. ? that in germination the conidia do not copulate. He also 
Yon Thiimen has well founded the genus upon the fact 
t 
M : 
2 Yeotheca universalis 1216, 1878; Oester. Bot. Zeitschr. 29 : 18. 1879- 
Syl * Bot. Zeitschr. 29: 217. 1879 
Sap Fung. 7; 486. 1888, 4Rabenh. Krypt. Fl. Pilze 1+ 109- 1884. 
egg Nat. Pflanzfam. x : (Lief. 160). 1897. 
“oy. Gard. Kew 153. 1 8 
ther. & dex 53, 154. 1899. 
t. bot. Gesells, 18: 73. Ig00. 8 Unters. Mykol. 12: 210. 
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