96 Prof. Marshall Ward, Notes on some of the Rarer 



Sclerotinia Duriceana, Tul., Quel. 1 



This interesting peziza is comparatively abundant in some of 

 the Fens, on Garex stricta, as was shown me by Dr Plowright. 

 The sclerotia fit into the triangular leaves and stems, and when 

 freed have a curious resemblance to Ergot. They germinate 

 freely, and I found the peziza form fully developed in April, in a 

 Fen in Norfolk. 



The ascospores germinated readily in water, and gave rise to 

 the curious flask-shaped bodies emitting minute conidia, which have 

 been described by Woronin a for other species of Sclerotinia. 



In richer food-materials, the ascospores gave rise to large 

 mycelia, from which however no other spores were obtained : this 

 matter was not followed up further. 



On living leaves of Garex the ascospores germinated freely, 

 but although the small mycelia developed flask-shaped condio- 

 phores, no infection was observed. 



It still remains to be decided whether the fungus is truly 

 parasitic. 



Among the Uredinese may be mentioned Puccinia Andersoni, 

 B. and Br. s , which I found on Carduus heterophyllus — itself an 

 interesting plant, by the bye — in Yorkshire, forming dark violet 

 or black patches on the leaves. 



Coleosporium Senecionis. 



This Uredine was collected in some quantity in its secidial 

 stage {P eridermium Pini) in the early summer in Norfolk on the 

 needles of Pinus Laricio and Austriaca, and in its Uredo stage 

 later in the summer, on Senecio sylvaticus growing beneath the 

 same pines. Miss Dawson has successfully infected plants of 

 Senecio sylvaticus and S. vulgaris with the secidiospores, and we are 

 awaiting the results of the reciprocal infections of pine-seedlings. 

 Infection experiments have also been made on other species of 

 Senecio, the results of which will appear in due course : S. Jacobo&a, 

 S. erucifolius and S. aquaticus apparently refuse infection. 



Ncematelia encephala, Fr. 



Though by no means uncommon in the Scotch Pine-forests, 

 this fungus is often overlooked and is by no means well known. 

 I found it in abundance this last autumn on dead Pine-twigs, 

 and cultivated it with some success. The basidia are divided by 

 vertical walls, and my results fully bear out Brefeld's 4 confirmation 



1 See Tulasne, Carpologia. 



2 Woronin, Mem. de VAcad. de St Petersb. T. xxxvi. 1888. 



3 Ann. Nat. Hist. 1875. Vol. xv. 4th ser. p. 35. No. 1464. 



4 Untcrs. aus d. Ges. Geb.H. vu. p. 107. 



