20 CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [Bull. 
in diameter, and also vary in shape according to the part at- 
tacked; the brownish black spore mass is at first covered with 
a whitish membrane, composed largely of semi-gelatinized fun- 
gous threads. The spores are ellipsoidal to spherical, occa- 
sionally irregular, prominently echinulate, and 8-11, rarely 
even I5y, in length. 
Hosts and Distr.: Euchlena luxurians, New Haven, Sept. 
II, 1903; Zea Mays, New Haven (Sturgis), Aug. 18, 1901 
(Rorer) ; Southington, July 17, 1902; Westville, Aug. 14, Sept. . 
2, 1902, June 28, 1904; Hartford, Oct. 20, 1902; New Canaan, 
Sept. 29, 1903. 
Corn smut is common on both the sweet and field varieties, 
though in this state the former is more subject to its attacks. 
Seed treatment will not prevent the smut, as it can gain en- 
trance to its host through any exposed young tissue. The 
first host given is teosinte, a plant that is closely related to 
corn. Fig. 55 shows smutted staminate blossoms of corn re- 
duced to one-half size. 
Ustilago Oxalidis Ell. & Tr. Figs. 3, 48. The incon- 
spictious sori are found in the seeds, all or part of these being 
changed into reddish brown dusty spore masses, that show to 
the exterior only on the dehiscence of the otherwise little modi- 
fied ovaries. The spores are golden yellow, ovoid to spherical, 
or rarely more elongated or irregular, coarsely verrucose, and 
13-20 in length. 
Host and Distr.: Ovalis stricta, Yalesville, July, 1902; 
West Cornwall, July 18, 1902; New Haven, July, 1902; Whit- 
neyville, Oct. 18, 1902, Sept. 9, 1903; Manchester, Oct. 2, 1903. 
An inconspicuous conidial stage is also produced on the 
surface of the anthers of the infected flowers. These temporary 
spores are thin-walled and ovoid to subspherical. They are so 
placed that they are probably carried from the flowers by in- 
sects, as are pollen grains. Fig. 48 shows two ovaries in which 
all of the seeds have been changed into smutty bodies. 
Ustilago anomala Kze. The sori occur in the essential 
organs of all the flowers, the floral envelopes forming a cov- 
ering to the dusty, purplish spore mass. The spores are light 
violet, ovoid to spherical, occasionally somewhat irregular, 
provided with rather fine winged reticulations (1-34 wide by 
Iu deep), and 10-15, rarely 17p, in length. 
