788 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



large, bisonvex to spherical, and contain eight sporids of 6-8 ^ in size. 

 The fungus developes best at the temperature of the body ; the peritheces 

 copiously on bread and potato in warmth. When introduced into the 

 circulation of rabbits the spores killed the animals, which died in three 

 to four days of a general mycosis. 



Parasitism of the Truffle.* — M. H. Bonnet gives several instances 

 in which truffles have been known to grow quite unconnected with the 

 roots of any tree. They are generally found under the holm-oak, or 

 chestnut, and in Europe, Africa, and the United States in the neighbour- 

 hood of all non-aquatic oaks. The author quotes M. Boudier's opinion 

 on the parasitism of the truffle, which is that they must be rather con- 

 sidered as saprophytes than parasites, and that they live on the humus 

 occurring in the neighbourhood of roots rather than on the roots them- 

 selves. As to the mycele, M. Condamy states that there is a female 

 mycele, a white thread which produces the fruit, and a male mycele 

 fixed on the roots, the concurrence of which is indispensable for the act 

 of fecundation. 



Fungi parasitic on Trees."]" — Herr C. v. Tubeuf describes the fungi 

 which cause a number of diseases on various trees in Germany. A 

 prevalent disease of the Douglas-pine | is caused by Botrytis Douglasii 

 n. sp. Trichos])Tiseria parasitica, hitherto known only on the spruce-fir, 

 occurs also on Picea excelsa ; and JjopJiodermium hrachysporum must be 

 added to the enemies of the Weymouth-pine. Two new species are 

 described : — Pestalozzia Hariigii, parasitic on young plants of Picea 

 excelsa and Ahies peciinata ; and P. conorum Picese, on fallen cones of 

 Picea excelsa. 



The author has observed the mycorhiza on the roots of Pinus Cemhra 

 at an altitude of 2200 m., in Tirol. It assumes two forms : — a coral-like 

 form consisting of fine white and coarser brown filaments, with loop- 

 cells, penetrating the bark as far as the endoderm ; and fine filaments in 

 the vessels of the swollen lateral roots which have been destroyed by the 

 fungus. 



Fungi parasitic on Ilice.§ — Herr F. v. Thiimen enumerates thirty- 

 four species of fungus parasitic on the rice-plant. Of these by far the 

 most destructive is SpJiserella Malinveriana, producing the disease known 

 as " bianchella," " selone," " crollatura," " brusone," or "carolo," 

 which annually destroys a large portion of the crop in Austria and 

 Italy. 



Echinobotryum and Stysanus. |1 — M. J. Costantin claims to have 

 determined the identity of Echinobotryum atrum and Stysanus Stemonitis. 

 This result he has obtained by the repeated careful culture of spores of 

 Echinohotryum. At the end of the fifth day hemispherical tufts make 

 their appearance, and these are shortly followed by a large number of 

 conids, and then by the pseudo-capitula. By a series of insensible 

 transitions the ramifications then appear, the pedicel elongates, and the 

 transformation to the Stysanus-ioxm takes place. 



* Eev. Mycol., xi. (1889) pp. 124-7. Cf. this Journal, 1888, p. 780. 



■j- ' Beitr. z. Keuntni.s.s d. Baumkrankheiten,' Berlin, 1888, 61 pp. and 5 pis. See 

 Bot. Centralbl., sxxix. (1889) p. 132. + Cf. tlds Journal, 1888, p. 471. 



§ 'Die Pilze d. Eeispfl uize,' 1889, 19 pp. See Bot. Centralbl., xxxix. (1889) 

 p. 131. II Journ. de Bot. (Morot), iii. (1889) pp. 240-3, 245-7 (1 pi). 



