MiCROSPHAERA 145 



Leveille described the plant on Loniccm tatarica as a distinct 

 species — M. Ehrenbcrgii^ but it is certainly not distinct from that 

 on L. Caprifolium, etc. Specimens on Z. tatarica have, perhaps, 

 more often recurved tips here and there, and a slightly more com- 

 pact branching of the whole apex, and shorter appendages than 

 those on L, Caprifolium, etc., but these characters are certainly 

 not invariable, and are, besides, frequently met with in, e. g.^ tlie 

 plant on Z. Xylosteiun, which has always been referred by authors, 

 including Leveille, to Dubyi, 



The size of the perithecium and number of the appendages 

 are very variable ; I have seen perithecia, side by side on a leaf, 

 70 fx in diameter with 5 appendages, and 105 ii in diameter, with 

 22 appendages. 



The van loniccrae is confined to Europe ; the numerous records 

 of the plant on species of Loniccra in America all refer to typical 

 M, alni. This is the case with Cooke and Peck's record of 

 '' M. Dubyi'' in the Journal of Botany (90, p. 13); with Peck's 



r 



records in the 26th and 29th Reports of the N. York St. Mus. 

 (278 and 280) on Loniccra glauca, etc., and Saccardo's record of 

 '' M. Dubyi'' from North America on Z. parviflora. In these 

 American specimens, and in the numerous other ones that I have 



herbaria (including one named ''M, fiiiitiiiia Howe,*' in 

 the Kevv Herbarium), the fungus clearly belongs to M, alui, and 

 shows no approach whatever to the var. iojiiccrae of European 

 honeysuckles. The apex is very ornate with regularly and dis- 

 tinctly recurved tips, in fact, many of the specimens show exactlv 



seen ui 



M. 



alternifoli 



The present plant can scarcely claim a higher rank than that 

 of a variety of M, alni. Not only do we frequently find some of 

 the tips of the ultimate branches here and there recurved, but fur- 

 ther proof of affinity with M, aini is shown by the occurrence, al- 

 though only very rarely, of an apex in which all the tips are re- 

 curved, and which taken by itself, w^ould pass for that of JZ aIni. 

 This .is found, e. g., in the specimens in Oudem. Fung. Neerl. 

 Exsicc. no. 154. . 



As we know that M. alni is an extremely variable plant, all 

 the above facts lead us to the conclusion that this species has pro- 



