BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 35 



occupying the whole lower surface of the leaf, ferruginous-brown ; spores ovate or ob- 

 long-ovate, umbonate at the apex, .001-0013 inch long; pedicel hyaline, short. 



Living leaves of Sophora serieea, Pursh. 



Mr. Brandegee remarks concerning this fungus that it is very common at Canon 

 City, about one-half the Sophora plants being affected by it. The plants attacked by it 

 become more erect in habit and do not blossom. The sori sometimes occur sparingly 

 on the upper surface of the leaf also. The specific name is suggested by the hyaline 

 membrane that at first covers them. 



Puccinia nigrescens, Pk — Spots none ; sori rather prominent, cauline, oblong, 

 blackish-brown or black; spores smooth, elliptical or oblong, obtuse or bluntly pointed, 

 slightly couslricted at the septum, .0015-.0018 inch long, .0008-.001 broad; pedicel col- 

 orless, two to four times as long as the spore. 



Stems and branches of Salvia lanceolata, Willd. 



No leaves of the host plant accompanied the specimens sent, so that I am not able 

 to say whether the fungus ever attacks the leaves or not. 



The two following species have been received from the sources given at the end of 

 the descriptions: 



DiaTrypella Frostii. Pk. — Stroma verrucaeform, rather prominent, convex or 

 hemispherical, scarcely one line broad, sometimes confluent, partly covered by the 

 closely adhering fragments of the ruptured epidermis, black externally, greenish within, 

 forming a white spot on the wood beneath ; perithecia sub-globose, generally ten to fif- 

 teen; ostiola obscure; asci sub-cylindrical, scarcely pedicellate, polysporous ; spores yel- 

 lowish in the mass, cylindrical, curved, .00025-. 00035 inch long. 



Dead maple branches. Bratlleborough, Vermont. G. C. Frost. 



Externally this fungus resembles small forms of Diatrypella oerrwiceformis, from 

 which it is easily separated by the greenish color of the stroma. D. beiulina, which 

 also has a greenish stroma, differs from this species in the larger size, different form 

 and naked disk. 



Sorosporium Desmodu, Pk. — Spore balls irregular or sub-globose, compact, rough, 

 .0012- 0016 inch in diameter, color in the mass reddish-brown inclining to cinnamon ; 

 spores sub-globose, rough, .000G-.0007 inch in diameter, four to ten in a group, not easily 

 separating from each other. 



Seeds of Desmodium acuminatum, DC. Closter, New Jersey. G. F. Austin. Sep- 

 tember. 



I am not aware that any representative of this genus has before been detected in 

 the United States. Nor is it surprising that this species has so long escaped notice, for 

 the fungus is wholly concealed, being produced in the seeds while they are yet inclosed 

 in the pod. For a time there is no external evidence of the presence of the fungus, but 

 at length a slight discoloration of the part of the pod immediately over the affected 

 seeds indicates that all is not right within. 



The whole seed, except perhaps the thin external coat, appears to be transformed 

 into the fungus spores. The color of these is similar to that of the spores of 8. Sapon- 

 arice, but the spore masses are smaller and less easily separated into their component 

 spores. Every seed in a pod and nearly every pod on an affected plant, so far as shown 

 by the specimens sent me, is attacked. From this if would appear that the fungus must 

 be quite effective in preventing the increase of thisDesmodium by the seed in localities 

 where it abounds. 



More about Lobelias. — In the Apriraumh#f(1877) of the Gazette I mentioned 

 having found a white plant of Lobelia syphfoiimi- I now have to report not oniy a red 

 flowered plant of the same species, (diftepng\n no particular, except in color, from the 

 common form,) but a remarkable plant/Vhich\appears to be a hybrid between L. syphi- 



