878 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



New Ustilagineae.* — M. Cornu gives an account of the anatomy 

 and germination of the spores iu several new or little known Ustila- 

 gineee. Ustilago axicola Berk, and Curt, is made the type of a new 

 genus, Cintractia, characterized by the formation of the spores in 

 successive concentric circles. Its diagnosis is thus given: — " Sporas 

 adglutinatae, tandem liberfe quum maturfe ; e stromate diu fertili 

 pedetentim natae et recentioribns rejectee." The curious Testicularia 

 Cijperi, and a second species, T. Leer sice, are described. The genus 

 Doassansia, in which the spore-masses are surrounded by a peculiar 

 envelope, is also described and figured. There are also descriptions 

 of the following species : — Mdanotceniiim maculare, M. scirpicolum, and 

 Geminella exotica. 



Development of Ascoinycetes.|— 0. Kihlman has followed out 

 the history of development of Melanospora parasitica, which he finds 

 to be truly par.isitic on Isaria farinosa ; also occasionally on I. stri- 

 (jnsa and Botrijtis Bassiana. The author has observed for the first 

 time the abstriction of the conidia in this species. As regards the 

 development of the perithecia and asci, he states that no morpho- 

 logically ditferentiated antheridial branch can be distinguished from 

 the rest of the enveloping hyphfe, and that neither the host nor the 

 hypha) of the Melanospora, which do not spring from the base of the 

 carpogonium, take any part in the formation of the fructification. 

 The ascogenous cell produces by division a true parenchymatous 

 tissue ; the parts of the enveloj)e which are in close contact with it 

 become disorganized, the organic connection of the ascogenous tissue 

 or "nucleus" with the wall of the capsule, consisting of several 

 layers, being thus broken. The cell-walls of the basal cells of the 

 carpogonium are resorbed, their contents coalesce, and are expelled 

 from the young perithecium in consequence of the active production 

 of shoots in the neighbourhood. The newly formed hyphal branches 

 constitute the neck of the perithecium ; the outer layers of the wall 

 turn brown ; the formation commences of asci and sjiores, and the 

 latter are forced out in a simple coiled chain through a fissure in the 

 ascogenous tissue and through the neck-canal by the jiressure of a 

 deliquescent gelatinous mass in the centre of the nucleus. The 

 author is of opinion that the antheridia have completely degenerated 

 after becoming functionless, while the arehicarp has maintained a 

 form difierent from that of the sterile hyphse, together with the 

 function of producing parthenogenetic spores. Melanospora is hence 

 closely related to certain Sordarieae, constituting a group which con- 

 trasts on the one hand with altogether apogamous forms among the 

 Pyrenomycetes, such as Choetomium and Pleospora, and on the other 

 hand with Eurotium and the Erysipheae which exhibit a comple sexual 

 difierentiation. 



Kiblman has also followed out the history of development of 

 Pyronema conjluens, esjiecially the further differentiation in the weft 

 of hyphje which is formed very early, the purpose of the tubular 



* Ann. Sci. Nat. (Bot.), xv. (1883) pp. 2G9-96 (3 pis.). 



t Arta Sue. Sci. Fenn., xiii. (2 pis.). See Bot. Ceiitndbl., xv. (1883) p. 65. 



