1889.] 



occurring in the ncighhotirJiood of Simla. 



239 



8. PccciNiA Galii, Pei\s. 



on Galium aparine, D. C. 



This fungus may be found very largely distributed in autumn, 

 commencing about October. Small circular dark brown pustules are 

 formed on the under surfaces of the narrow leaves with often a palod 

 yellowish area on the corresponding opposite or upjjer surface. Each 

 leaf usually contained two, or three, or even more such pustules I onoe 

 counted 13 pustules on a single leaflet. These pustules contained 

 Ftiocinia spores, with always a few uredospores, but, although I looked 

 carefully earlier in the season, I never found simple uredo pustules. 



The uredospores are oval, measuring 23 x 20 /t when well moistened, 

 with a brown tuberculated episporo. These spores germinate readily in 

 water, throwing out a simple germ tube after the usual manner of uredo- 

 spores (Pig. 5, PI XII). One such germ tube measured 0-315 mm. in 

 length and 5 to 6 /(* in diameter. Into this tube the protoplasm of the 

 spores wandered, collecting in the distal end. Bach spore appears to 

 have two germ pores, but only one germ tube is emitted. A curious 

 feature about thowe uredospores is the comparatively long time they 

 retain their vitality. In a cultivation of teleutospores with material 

 collected in October, and set in water on the 26tli March following, all 

 the uredospores present, of which there were several, germinated in 24 

 hours, whilst the teleutospores still remained in statu quo. 



The teleutospores are brown bodies, not easily detached from their 

 beds, and breaking oif with a portion of stalk adhering. In each cell 

 a distinct nuclear vesicle is seen. The spore is constricted in the 

 middle at the septum, and the free end is considerably thickened. The 

 septum usually divides the spore into equal halves (Fig. 4, PI. XII), 

 The whole length of the spore when well moistened is about 44 /i, 

 and the breadth at the septum 14 /it. The greatest breadth of the 

 upper cell is 21 /t, whilst that of the lower is 16 fi. The portion of stalk 

 adherent to the detached spore is generally about 30 /j. in length. The 

 thickening of the free end of the .spore is 7 to 13 fi. The above are 

 average measurements, but the spores are not very uniform in size. 

 These spores germinate freely in spring throwing out pt-oniycelia from 

 the apex of the upper cell, or from a point a little to one side of it, and 

 from a point near the septum of the lower cell. The promtjcelia as 

 usual divide into 4 cells each forming a sporidium at the extremity of 

 a sterigma. The sporidia measure about 13 x 9 ju. and germinate by 

 throwing out a narrow germ tube 2 ^ in diameter. 



Bemarhs. — I have named this P. Galii and not P. Valantim, Pera., 

 as on the whole, the characters of the teleutospore agree better with 

 31 



