June 12, 1908J 



SCIENCE 



931 



B. penicillaia should exist there is an item of 

 peculiar interest. The fact that the first 

 specimens of it collected in that region were 

 described as a new species, B. fimbriata^ 

 serves as a natural continuation of the con- 

 fusion regarding the species in America, and 

 it may be properly remarked here that there 

 has also been some confusion in Europe re- 

 garding its identity. To reiterate, then, the 

 name B. penicillata was introduced into 

 American literature and first made to apply 

 to forms afterwards found to be distinctly 

 American, it was next decided that it belonged 

 exclusively to a European species not occur- 

 ring in North America, and that view is prob- 

 ably the prevailing one at present.* Now, 

 when we make out that we have the species 

 to which the name in its proper usage belongs, 

 we find that it has already been described 

 under an independent name. 



Discovery that this peculiar roestelial form 

 existed in this country immediately raised the 

 question as to why the telial phase should also 

 not occur. Turning to the work of European 

 investigators' who had conducted culture ex- 

 periments, it was soon made out that the 

 Gymnosporangium stage was also very char- 

 acteristic and unlike any of our well-known 

 American species. An examination of several 

 large herbaria had not revealed any such spe- 

 cimens, and since it was known to have such 

 a peculiar form it seemed evident that it had 

 never been collected in this country. The 

 fact, however, that the roestelial form existed 

 here seemed convincing evidence that the telia 

 should also occur. Several collectors in the 

 proper regions were then interested in the 



' Arthur, " New Species of Uredineae," I., Bull. 

 Torrey Bot. Club, 28: 666. 1901. 



*Farl. Bibl. Index, 1: 77. 1905. "Under 

 JEcidium piratum are given the references to the 

 ^Ecidium of Gymnosporangium maaropiis, but, as 

 the names Mcidium piratum and JEcidium penicil- 

 latum, the latter being in fact the name of a 

 European species not found in North America, 

 have been confused by some American writers, 

 some of the following references may belong to 

 other species." 



'R. Hartig, Lehr. Baumkr., 1: 133. 1882; Ed. 

 Fischer, Eedw., 34: 1-6. 1895; Tubeuf & Smith, 

 " Diseases of Plants," 389. 1897. 



matter, the form was described to them and 

 they were asked to be on the lookout for it 

 in the field. The results were most gratify- 

 ing, for two collections were made during the 

 season of 1907, one in Colorado and another 

 in Alberta, Canada.' These specimens agree 

 well with the foreign ones in general appear- 

 ance as well as in size and shape of the spores 

 and other microscopic details. Their host is 

 the dwarf juniper, Juniperus siberica. 



Having concluded that Boestelia penicillata 

 existed in this country and with it, a Gym- 

 nosporangium identical with the form cul- 

 turally connected with it in Europe, it be- 

 comes a point of interest to inquire the name 

 of the Gymnosporangium. European writers 

 usually refer to it as Gymnosporangium tre- 

 melloides of E. Hartig. Hartig established 

 his name in 1882 after he had made cultures. 

 Boestelia penicillata has been known since 

 1791 and many authors have referred to it, 

 therefore it did not seem probable that its 

 telial phase, conspicuous as it is, should have 

 remained uncollected until 1882. A study 

 was then begun which ended in the decision 

 that the original Tremella juniperina of Lin- 

 nsBus's " Species Plantarum " was none other 

 than the telial phase of Bcesielia penicillata. 

 The specific name juniperina becomes, there- 

 fore, the name of the species, and if we refer 

 it to Gymnosporangium the combination is 

 Gymnosporangium juniperinum (L.) Mart., 

 Fl. Crypt. Erlang. 333. 1817. 



Erank D. Kern 



PUKDUE UnIVEKSITY, 



Lafayette, Indiana 



RESEARCH DEFENSE SOCIETY'- 

 A SOCIETY has been formed, with the name 

 of the Research Defense Society, to make 

 ' The Colorado specimen was collected at Laveta, 

 June 20, 1907, by Miss Allen, of Professor F. E. 

 Clement's party of summer students, and com- 

 municated by Professor E. Bethel, of the East 

 Side High School, Denver, Colo. The Alberta 

 collection was made at Laggan, July 20, 1907, 

 by Professor E. W. D. Holway. 



' Lord Cromer has accepted the presidency of 

 the Research Defense Society, to the organization 

 of which we recently called attention, and has 

 addressed this letter to the editor of the London 

 Times. 



