17 
AUSTRALIAN FUNGI. 
By G. Massee. 
Fuccinia Koehise, Mass. 
Amphigenous ; sori discoid, plane, very compact, blackish-brown, 
about 1 mm. diameter, girt by the torn epidermis ; teleutospores 
densely packed, elliptic-oblong, both ends very obtuse, or the apex 
with a slight indication of a papilla, which is often oblique, per- 
fectly smooth, pale umber, 40-50 X 22-25 y, wall about 3 y thick ; 
pedicel colourless, cylindrical, 70 x 6 y. 
On Kochia sedifolia , F. v. M. Near Dainboola, Victoria (F. 
Reader). 
Very closely resembling Puccinia alyxice , Cke. & Mass., in habit 
and general appearance, but differing widely in the spore form and 
structure. 
Xylaxia (Xylodactyla) Readexi, F. von Mueller. 
Black ; head globose or broadly elliptical, 5-8 mm. long, crowned 
by a short spine, mealy with the white conidia ; perithecia scanty, 
large, prominent ; asci cylindrical, shortly pedicellate, 8-spored, 
spores obliquely uniseriate, subcylindrieal, slightly curved, ends 
obtuse, 14-15x5-6 y, pale purple-brown; stem 7-10 c.m. long, 
the greater portion buried in the sand, densely velvety downwards, 
simple, erect, springing at intervals from a whitish, horizontal 
rhizome. 
Sandy desert. Wemmera, Victoria (F. Reader). 
Resembling X. pedunculata in habit, but with very different 
spores. 
Phoma uvicola, B. <$• C. N. A. Fungi, No. 382. Saco. Syll. No. 887. 
Sporules 7-8 x 3-4 y. 
Unfortunately this disease, known in the United States as “ black 
rot,” has been found on grapes from Victoria, but the ascigerous 
condition has not been detected in Australia. 
Bibliography. 
Hedwigia , 1893, p. 119. — Bresadola states that Pleurotus abbre- 
viatus, Kalch. Grev. viii., 152, is equal to Polyporus subpulveru - 
lentus , B. & C. Pores ample, distorted when dry. This is stated 
on the faith of some specimen said to be derived from Kalch- 
brenner. It seems so absurd, on the face of it, that an experienced 
mycologist like Kalchbrenner did not know a Pleurotus from a 
Polyporus that we would much sooner believe in the specimen 
having a wrong name attached. A similar circumstance has 
occurred previously (Grev. xix., p. 53), when Bresadola contended, 
on the faith of. some specimen, that Polyporus pisiformis , Kalch., 
was a Gasteromycete. It is improbable that any experienced 
mycologist would have made such elementary mistakes. — M.C.C. 
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