eerererR ARTICLES 
THREE INTERESTING SPECIES OF CLAVICEPS 
(WITH EIGHT FIGURES) 
One of the fungi most commonly met in North Carolina occurs in 
sclerotial form upon Paspalum laeve and P. dilatatum.* Over large 
areas every plant may bear spikes showing one or more of these sclerotia. 
In summer they are covered with a yellowish coat of spores, and the 
fungus has heretofore been variously designated as Sclerotium Paspali 
Schw., Sphacelia Paspali Bornet, and Spermoedia Paspali Fr. The 
species was used extensively by the authors in a physiological investi- 
gation,; and is well represented in the ac- 
companying photographs (figs. 1 and 2). 
The abundance of the form and the fact 
that its perfect stage appeared to be unknown 
led us to attempt to grow from it an asciger- 
ous stage. Numerous sclerotia which had 
wintered out of doors, naturally, were col- 
lected from the ground where they had fallen, 
and were planted on moist earth in glass 
capsules which were kept at room tempera- 
ture. After about 20~25 days signs of germi- 
nation appeared. Soon stalks 5-18 mm. long 
were developed, and on their ends round heads 
Fic. t.—Sclerotia of C. -2 mm. in diameter (fig. 3). By teasing or 
Paspali as seen upon the sectioning, perithecia and asci of the typic 
host. é 
Claviceps form were found. But most re- 
markable, two clearly distinct types of perithecia, differing strikingly 
in size and shape, and bearing spores of decidedly different size, were 
found. The perithecia of the two forms are shown in figs. 4 and 5. 
In the collection of the U.S. Department of Agriculture were found 
sclerotia from Paspalum bearing asci. These proved to be identical with 
the small-spored form of our own collection. Correspondence between 
* These species were kindly determined for us by A. S. Hircucockx. 
? Fartow, Host index, p. 153; also Sacc. Syll. Fung. 14:1152. 
3 Variation of fungi due to environment. Bot. GAZETTE 48:1-30. 1909. 
Botanical Gazette, vol. 50] | [460 
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