290 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXV. No. 634 



by an infection experiment, this fungus 

 was shown to be the fecial stage of Coleo- 

 sporium Solidaginis (Schw.) Thm., which 

 is common throughout the United States on 

 goldenrod and asters. This conclusion is 

 based upon the following points: (1) No 

 other suspicious rust followed the attack 

 of the Peridermium. (2) The Coleo- 

 sporium (both II. and III.) occurred 

 abundantly on Solidago rugosa under trees 

 having the Peridermium but not iinder 

 trees free from it and slightly removed. 

 Instances were found where infected pine 

 leaves interlocked with plants of Solidago 

 and in these cases the leaves of the 

 Solidago were badly peppered with the 

 uredinial sori of the Coleosporium. (3) 

 The time sequence of the two rusts was 

 just as it should be if they were related. 

 (4) An indoor infection experiment with 

 spores of the Peridermium on a plant of 

 Solidago rugosa was successful in produc- 

 ing the Coleosporium. 



Culture Studies on the Polymorphism of 



Basidiomycetes: Dr. Geo. R. Lyman, 



Dartmouth College. 



The life histories of about seventy-five 

 species of Thelephoracese, Hydnacese and 

 Polyporacese were studied in pure cultures 

 with especial reference to the occurrence 

 of secondary methods of reproduction. 

 Aboiit 40 per cent, of the species studied 

 showed polymorphism of some form. 



Oidia were found in fully one half of 

 the species of PolyporacejE studied, but not 

 in the other two families. Chlamydospores 

 of the ordinary type were found upon the 

 mycelia in all three families and in about 

 one fifth of the species. Secondary 

 methods of reproduction of a higher order 

 were found in six species as follows : 



1. Michenera Artocreas B. & C was 

 shown to be the imperfect form of Corti- 

 cium subgiga7iteum Berk. The spores of 

 Michenera are highly specialized chlamydo- 



spores which form a definite fructification 

 of their own with a well-defined hjrmenium. 



2. Corticium alutaceum (Schrad.) Bres., 

 has two methods of secondary reproduc- 

 tion: (a) conidia of a simple oidium-like 

 nature produced on the young mycelium; 

 and, (6) red-brown spore-balls or bulbils 

 of the Helicosporangium type produced in 

 great profusion on the mature mycelium. 



3. Peniophora Candida, n. sp., is the per- 

 fect form of the well-known Mgerita Can- 

 dida Pers., and commonly occurs with it. 



4. Corticium roseo-pallens Burt, pro- 

 duces conidia in great abundance on the 

 mycelium. The conidia closely resemble 

 the basidiospores and are produced succes- 

 sively until groups of two to ten are formed 

 on low elevations on the sides of the hyphae. 



5. Corticium effuscatum C. & E., pro- 

 duces mycelial conidia of the CEdocephalum 

 type in all cultures, thus recalling Bre- 

 f eld's Heteroltasidion annosum. The my- 

 celium also produces abundant chlamydo- 

 spores. 



6. Lentodium squamidosum Morg., the 

 only fleshy fungus cultivated, bears helicoid 

 conidia upon long attenuated hairs arising 

 from the young veil and from the margin 

 of the developing pileus. The principal 

 interest attaching to this species, however, 

 lies in the structure and method of develop- 

 ment of the basidiosporic fructification. 

 The stipe and pileus are those of an agaric, 

 but the hymenial region is occupied by a 

 thick layer of irregular tubes and chambers 

 whose external openings are more or less 

 completely closed by a white flocculent 

 veil. Diffusely spreading hyphse arising 

 from the trama form this veil, and by in- 

 fluencing the direction of growth of the 

 hymenial plates, cause the porose-cellular 

 character of the hymenial layer. The 

 writer believes that Lentodium is not a 

 monstrosity, as has frequently been held, 

 but is an autonomous species whose sys- 



