Germination of Teleutospores of Ustilaginee. 85 
size of I5—18 X 3°5—4'5u. They formed an opalescent 
cloud at the bottom of the culture-drop. Each promy- 
celium was cylindrical in form, vacuolate, and eventually 
became triseptate, and produced promycelial spores both 
laterally and also at either end (Plate VII. Figs. 22, 24, 25). 
The latter were elliptical in form, and measured from 
3 to 4u in length by 2u in width. Many of the promycelia 
were observed to be slightly curved. 
U. utriculosa (Nees).—The teleutospores of this species 
are by no means easy to germinate, and although I have 
made a great many attempts to do so, I have always 
failed. Schréter* states that they emit a cylindrical promy- 
celium, which becomes triseptate, and produces elliptical 
promycelial spores in pairs, which conjugate in couples, 
Sphacelotheca—The spores do not germinate at all 
readily, and I have been unsuccessful in observing the 
process. Schréter ft states that the teleutospores emit a 
cylindrical promycelium, which becomes triseptate, an 1 
bears elliptical promycelial spores laterally, and that these 
conjugate in pairs at their bases. 
Sorosporium.—W oronin § succeeded in getting the spores 
of S. saponarig, Rud. on Lychnis dioica and Saponaria 
offictnalis to emit a germ-tube, but no spore-formation was 
* Schroter, Cohn’s ‘* Krypt. Flora von Schlesien,” vol. iii. Pp. 273. 
t Loc. cit., p. 275. 
} The two following species of Ustilago can in no sense be regarded as 
being British, yet they occur in this country sufficiently commonly to render 
them objects of interest. 
U’, ficuum, Richdt., is often met with on the cheaper kinds of figs, known 
in the trade as “‘natural figs.” The spores are formed in the interior of the 
fruit, and are black or dark violet, smooth, globose, from 6 to 8u across. I 
found no germination took place below 10° C., but between 10° and 13° C., 
when placed in water, they emitted promycelia 20—150 x 4—5w, but I was 
unable to observe any further development. 
U. phenicis, Corda, is a. closely allied species, which is frequently to be 
met with on cheap dates. The spores are globose, smooth, dark violet, 
from 4 to 5u in diameter. 
§ Woronin, Joc. ctt., pp. 18, 19, t. lii. figs. 13-18. 
