138 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XVI. No. 395. 



The Finding of Puccinia phragmitis 



{Sdium.) Korn. in Nebraska: John M. 



Bates, Callaway, Nebraska. 



Jime 14, 1901, the writer found the ceci- 



dal stage on garden rhubarb, in Kearney; 



August 23 the next two stages were found 



on Phragmitis at Cailaway, sixty-five 



miles northwest. This year he has found 



the feeidal stage on Riimex Britannica, B. 



altissimus and E. crispus, and on rhubarb 



in four gardens, thus completing the life 



history. It is thought to be new to this 



continent. 



Notes on Diseases of Western Coniferce: 

 Hermann von Schrenk, Mo. Botanical 

 Garden, St. Louis, Mo. 

 The coniferous trees of California, Ore- 

 gon, "Washington, Idaho and adjoining 

 States are attacked by a number of fungus 

 diseases, some of which destroy as high as 

 forty per cent, of the standing timber. 

 The most important diseases are caused 

 by forms of Trametes pini, Polyporus 

 Schweinitzii, Polyporus Libocedris, n. sp., 

 Echinodontium tinctorum, Polyporus of- 

 ficinalis. The development of these fungi 

 and the manner and extent to which they 

 destroy the wood were described. Refer- 

 ence was made to the blue disease of Black 

 Hills timber. 



A Disease of Potato 84q,ms in. Ohio, Due 



to Bhizoctonia: Augustine D. Selby, 



Wooster, 0. 



The work of Duggar and Stewart in New 

 Yorli upon diseases caused by the sterile 

 fungus Bhizoctonia and the recent prelim- 

 inary publication by Rolfs upon potato fail- 

 ures in Colorado due to the same source, is 

 already known to workers in plant pa- 

 thology. 



For more than a year past work has been 

 in progress at the Ohio Experiment Station 

 upon the Bhizoctonia on potatoes. Dur- 

 ing the present June outbreaks of a well- 

 marked stem disease in Ohio, due to this 



source have occurred at several points in 

 Ohio. Local areas of decay are situated 

 both above and below the soil line ; the most 

 striking feature, however, is the character- 

 istic rosette aspects of the central leaves 

 of the plants attacked. By slight incurl- 

 ing of the leaves the affected plants may 

 be readily discerned in walking through 

 the field; apparently this characteristic is 

 constant on a number of varieties. Ten 

 per cent, or more of the plants have been 

 found affected; doubtless larger percent- 

 ages may occur. 



Arachniotus trachyspermus, A neiv Species 

 of the Gymnoascacece: C. L. Shear, De- 

 partment of Agriculture, Washington, 

 D. C. 



Arachniotus is a genus of primitive as- 

 comycete, described bj^ Schroeter in 1893. 

 Four species have thus far been described. 

 The present species, which appears to be 

 new, is the first thus far reported in this 

 country so far as kno^vn to the author. It 

 was isolated from diseased cranberries 

 grown in New Jersey and grown in abun- 

 dance in culture media. The fungus first 

 forms a thin laj^er of fine snow-white hy- 

 phfe. Mature peridia are produced in 

 from two to three weeks. These are globu- 

 lar, about -^ mm. in diameter, consisting of 

 a thin, loose layer of fine hj^phas which en- 

 close a dense mass of spherical or subglo- 

 bose asci borne at the apices of the much 

 branched and interwoven fertile hyphs. 

 Asci are eight-spored. Spores almost color- 

 less but in mass showing a faint greenish- 

 yellow tint, rough, elliptical, 3.5 x 2.5//. 



An Instance of a Change in the Native 

 Flora: Chas. E. Bessbt, Lincoln, Nebr. 

 In Nebraska the little grass Festuca 

 ocfo flora, has been common throughout the 

 State ever since botanizing has been done, 

 but it has never been a conspicuous plant. 

 This year inquiries have been sent in to the 

 University and Experiment Station from 



