JOUKNAL 



OF THE 



ROYAL MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 



DECEMBER 1884. 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE SOCIETY. 



XVIII. — Description and Life-history of a neiv Fungus, 

 Milowia nivea. 



By G. Massee, F.R.M.S. 



(Read 12th November^ 1884.) 

 Plate XII. 



Milowia n. gen. — Piilvinate. Monoecious. Mycelium sparsely 

 septate, branched, flexuous, giving origin to numerous lateral fertile 

 three-celled branches. Pollinodium clavate, springing from the 

 basal cell of the fertile branch. Carpogonium formed from the 

 terminal cell of the fertile branch, broadly obovate, producing from 

 near its apex from two to five cylindrical octosporous asci. 



M. nivea n. sp. — Tufts globose, minute, white; sporidia 

 colourless, cylindrical truncate ; conidia globose, moniliform, occu- 

 pying the same position as the carpogonium when the latter is not 

 developed. Forming minute snow-white spots on decaying leaves 

 of Blysmus compressus. When seen under a low power the plants 

 look like minute tassels standing erect ; the asci are numerous and 

 radiate from a subglobose sterile portion. This plant, one of the 

 simplest of the Ascomycetes, approaches in structure the genera 

 Podosphsera and Gymnoascus, but differs from both in the total 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XIL 



Fig. 1. — Milovna nivea, nat. size. 



Figs. 2, 3. — Portiona showing asci in different stages of development, x 750 

 Fig. 4.— 8rx)ri(lia, x 750, 

 Fig. 5. — Sporidia germinating, X 750. 



Figs. G, 7, X.— Organs of reproduction in variou.g stages. «, carpogonium, b, 

 p^jJliiiodiura, x 7.')0. 



Fig. y. — JJrancli bearing conidia, x 750. 

 Scr. 2.— Vol. IV. 3 r 



