424 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



for another species parasitic on Navmila. Bhizidium Braunii is also, 

 parasitic on diatoms. 



The author records the remarkable observation that some Mucorini, 

 especially Piloholus crystallinus, when attacked by Pleotrachelus and 

 Syncephalis, exhibit a tendency to intermit the ordinary mode of repro- 

 duction by spores in favour of the much rarer production of 

 zygosperms. 



Observations follow on the decay of the root of Stiftia clirijsantim, 

 a labiatifloral Composite, caused by Protomyces radicicolus ; and on a 

 parasitic fungus which attacks decaying Charas, nearly allied to Lejpto- 

 mitus, which the author places in the genus Apodachlya, with the name 

 A. pyrifera. 



Plowright's British Uredinese and TTstilagineaB.* — This excellent 

 monograph contains a detailed morphological account of these two 

 classes of Fungi, followed by a systematic description of all the British 

 species, including an enumeration of their host-plants. It is illustrated 

 by eight excellent plates. 



Penicilliopsis, a new genus of Ascomycetes.f — Under the name 

 Penicilliopsis clavariseformis Graf zu Solms-Laubach describes a fungus 

 found on fallen fruits of Diospyros macrophylla, which is interesting as 

 forming a connecting link between Enrotmm and Penicillium on the one 

 hand, and Onygena on the other hand, and showing that they all belong 

 to the Tuberacese. 



The thallus obtains its nutriment from the endosperm of the seed, 

 and projects above the surface of the fruit in the form of club-shaped 

 borns^ of a sulphur colour, on which are formed the conids. It also 

 produces small hard reddish-brown tubers which are sporocarps, very 

 similar to those of Penicillium, but not going through a period of rest. 

 They consist of a dense mass of interwoven hyphsD, which produce the 

 asci within them only when they have attained nearly their full size; 

 when ripe, the sporocarp consists of several chambers, not of only one, 

 as in Elaphomyces. The terminal cells of branches of the ascogenous 

 hyphse develope directly into asci ; the ascospores vary in number ; 

 no epiplasm could be detected. When they are mature tho outer wall 

 disappears, as in Penicillium. The ovate ascospores resemble those of 

 Eurotium and Penicillinm, and are sometimes covered with minute spines, 

 like those of Tuber ; they appear, however, to be dimorphic. 



The most important difference between Penicilliopsis and Penicilliuvi 

 lies in the mode of formation of the asci, which, in the latter genus, are 

 connected together in long chains. No trace of sexual organs could be 

 detected. The relation between Penicilliopsis and Onygena and Terfezia 

 is also traced out. 



The colouring-matter of Penicilliopsis clavariseformis has been ex- 

 amined by Herr J. Eeinke,J and is found to be a substance allied to 

 chlorophyll and phycoerythrin, crystallizing in red prisms ; he proposes 

 to call it mycoporphyrin. 



Gyttaria.§ — Dr. E. Fischer has made a critical examination of this 

 genus of exotic Ascomycetous Fungi, the first species of which, 



* 'Mouograph of the British Uredine?e and UstilagineEe, with au account of 

 their Biology,' 8vo, London, 1889, vii. and 348 pp. and 8 pis. 

 t Ann. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, vi. (1887) pp. .53-72 (2 pis.). 

 X T. c, pp. 73-8 (1 pL). § Bot. Ztg., xlvi. (1888) pp. 813-32, 842-6 (1 pL). 



