i CuxNiNGHAM.— Te Ustilagineae, or “ Smuts,” of New Zealand. 423 
Only a single indigenous species has as yet been collected in New Zea- 
land. In North America Clinton (1906) records sixteen species, all, with 
one ve dese confined to the Gramineae; the exception occurs on the 
Polygonace 
The еба of development, structure, and nature of the columella 
and urbis prete ire on which the genus is separated from 
U alt with under the species. 
Spore- У —This is similar to Ustilago save that the process is 
confined to a definite region of the sporiferous hyphae ; the columella and 
receptacle, although formed from potentially sporogenous tissue, remaining 
sterile. 
enus is separated from Ustilago on account of the presence of a 
definite false membrane of fungous tissue surrounding the sorus. ue 
membrane is somewhat urn-shaped, and encloses a cavity in whic 
situated the pulverulent mass of spores arranged around a central slate 
of combined host and fungous tissue. 
1. Sphacelotheca Hydropiperis (Schumacher) de Bary. es fig. 10.) 
Polygonaceae. 
Uredo Hydropiperis oe „Enum. Pl. Saell., vol. 2, p. 234, 1803. Ustilago 
Candollei Tul., Ann, Sci. Nat., ser. 3, bem A p. 93, 1847. U. hydropiperis 
Schroet., Baile. Biol. Pj... vol. 2, p. 355, 1 
Sori in the ovaries, up to 5 mm. long, delis of an outer urn-shaped 
receptacle composed of fungous iet opening at the apex by a reflexed 
margin, enclosing the dark-purple spore-mass, which in turn surrounds 
the more or less evident ната 
Spores subglobose to shortly elliptical, 10-17 х 11-13 mmm. ; epispore 
minutely and closely verruculose, dark purple, 1 mmm. thick. 
H 
PI serrulatum ГЕ (= P. prostratum А. Rich.) In in- 
flores 5 , W. Colenso. 
Polygonum sp. Herb. ue "137. Kaitaia, North Auckland, E. H. 
Atkinson! 16 Dec., 
Distribution : World-wide. 
The former host is indigenous and widespread; it occurs also in 
Australia, Europe, Asia, &c. (Cheeseman, 1906, p. 590). 
The species was first recorded by Berkeley (1855) for New Zealand 
from ае collected by Colenso ; he determined the species as Ustilago 
Candollei var. 
Infection occurs in- the seedling stage, according to De Bary (1887), 
the hyphae growing with the growing-point until the ovaries are formed. 
When the ovule is formed the hyphae pass into it through the funiculus, 
completely replacing it and forming in its stead a compact hyphal mass. 
This mass later becomes differentiated into an outer sterile laver enclosing 
a central columella ; between these two structures the spores are formed. 
The whole of this tissue is at first enclosed within the ovary-wall, but, 
owing to continuous development of these structures by formation of fresh 
hyphae at their base, the spore-receptacle with its enclosed (pistas soon 
outgrows and ruptures the ovary, which may sometimes fall a 
ination is effected by the production of a быа. which 
produces lateral conidia, as does Ustilago Avenae. 
