Sphaerotheca 67 



Erysiphc crodii was the name given by Durieu and Montagne 

 in 1846-9, to a fungus occurring on Eroditim moschatutn at Oran, 

 Algeria. In their account of the plant, the authors described the 

 perithecium as containing many asci. In 185 1 Leveille identified 

 "E. crodii" with Sphaerotheca Castagnci. The correctness of this 

 identification has since been questioned by Montagne and also by 

 Saccardo ("Asci plures, ergo non Sphaerotheca"'). An examina- 

 tion of the original Algerian specimens, however, confirms Leveilie's 

 determination, and shows the fungus to agree in all characters 



with .S". Jnunnli, 



Professor Penzig kindly sent me for examination the type 

 specimen of S. fngax Penz. and Sacc. on Geranimn sylvaticum. 

 The fungus shows these characters : perithecia 80-98 11 in diameter ; 

 cells 1 5-20 /i wide, appendages long, up to 7 times the diameter 

 of the perithecium, colored pale brown for most of their length, 

 ascus 80-95x65-75 /A spores 20-22 x 13-15 ,«• I cannot, in 

 fact, find that the plant differs in any way from 5. hinmdi, which 

 occurs frequently on species of Gcranmni. 



S. drabae Juel is certainly to be referred to 5. humnli var. 

 fidiginca, and the same is the case with the S. Castagnci, var. 

 sitbmutica of the same author. I am indebted to Professor Juel 

 for specimens (now in the Kew Herbarium) of both these forms. 

 In the original diagnosis, 5. drabae (on Draba hirta) is described 

 as having no appendages, and in a later description, where the 

 plant is recorded as occurring on Draba incana, Astragalus alpimis, 

 and Thalictruvi alpinum Juel (186) remarks " Rostrup hat einen 

 Zweifel aber den Wert dieser art ausgesprochen (Bidr. Kundsk. 

 Norges Sopart 11. Christiania Vid.-Selsk. Forhandl., 1891) und 

 vermutet dass dieselbe von Sph. Castagnci nicht verschieden sei. 

 Bei Sph. drabae sind die Perithecien nur am Grunde durch einige 

 Hyphen mit dem Mycel verbunden, aber entbehren ganzHch der 

 Anhfingsel." In the numerous specimens of 5. drabae sent to 

 me, however, I find, as a rule, a few short, pale brown, tortuous 

 appendages on the perithecium, and rarely the appendages are 

 even numerous. In the characters of the appendages, and in the 

 large perithecial cells, the specimens agree perfectly with 5. humuli 

 var. fidiginea. " S. Castagnci var. snbnintica" is the ordmary 

 form of the var. fuliginca on species of Melampyrnm. 



