New Fungi. 



7 



et capitulum pulverulentum subsphaeroideum efformantibus ; 

 conidiis cylindraceis, 3-5 septatis, hyalinis, catenulatis, 40-70 x 

 6-8 /X. 



A very remarkable fung-us, parasitic on the fallen mericarps 

 of Conium maculatum. A single example was also found grow- 

 ing" on the fruit of Heracleiim sphondylium. 



A considerable number of infested mericarps were collected 

 and placed in damp earth covered by a bell-jar^ where they 

 remained till the following" spring, when the fungus appeared in 

 considerable quantities, one to three plants springing from a 

 single hemlock fruit. The fungus presents the general appear- 

 ance of a species of Stilbiim, having a slender stem 1-1*5 

 long, simple or rarely branched, the stem consists of a fascicle 

 of hyphae which separate from each other at the apex, the tip of 

 each thread bearing a chain of septate, colourless conidia, these 

 conidia collectively form a globose head, which becomes powdery 

 as the chains of spores break up. 



Numerous attempts were made at intervals throughout the 

 season to trace the life-history of the fungus, by endeavouring 

 to grow the spores in various media, but without success ; not 

 a single pure culture could be obtained, the spores sending out a 

 few weakly germ-tubes, which gradually died without forming 

 a mycelium. 



During the following year the locality where the fungus was 

 first discovered was revisited by A. Clarke and C. Crossland, 

 and a second batch of material secured. 



This was treated similarly to the first lot, and the following 

 spring a fine growth was produced. 



Remembering Woronin's statement that the ovary of Vac- 

 ciniiim. was inoculated by a fungus called Sclerotinia, through 

 spores being deposited on the stigma by insects, conidia of the 

 Symphosira were deposited, by means of a fine needle, on the 

 stigmas of Conmfu maculatum , Heracleiifu sphoyidyliitm, Myrrhis 

 odorata, and Epilobiiim salicifolhim. 



In the case of the two last plants named, no inoculation was 

 eff'ected ; in Conium nine out of twelve infected flowers produced 

 the fungus in the ovary ; whereas in Heracleum only two flowers 

 out of twelve experimented upon produced the fungus. There 

 is no shrivelling or distortion of the infected fruit, which looks 

 quite normal in size and general appearance, but infected fruits 

 appear to ripen much more quickly than normal uninfected ones 

 do. If a section of a ripe infected mericarp is examined under 

 the microscope its interior will be found to consist of a dense 



1904 January i. 



