SMUTS AND BUNT. 
39 
this dust submitted to the microscope will be found to consist 
of myriads of small globose spores, nearly uniform in size and 
shape ; and if a high power be employed, each of these will 
appear to have a papillose or minutely granulated surface. 
The florets, dwarfed in size and contorted, or the remains of 
them, are embedded in the mass of spores, and if one or two 
of these are removed and placed under a good one-inch objec- 
tive, every part will be found covered with adhering spores, 
to the apparent exhaustion of its substance. Of course, the 
florets are never developed when subjected to the attack of 
c( smut.” The whole plant assumes a faded, sickly appearance, 
even before the spores are fully ripened. We would recom- 
mend our readers, if they collect one of the infected flower- 
heads, to put it into a box or paper by itself, for if placed in the 
box with other specimens it will so sprinkle them with its 
black powder as to render them nearly useless for microscopic 
examination : everywhere the microscope will detect, where the 
unaided eye failed to recognize a trace, the ubiquitous spores 
of TJstilago receptaculorum (plate III. figs. 11 — 15). 
In the fenny districts of the eastern counties a species of 
“ smut ” called TJstilago typhoides attacks the stems of reeds, 
forming thick swollen patches of several inches in length, 
sometimes occupying the whole space between two joints or 
nodes, and lying beneath the sheath of the leaves. The 
spores in this species are larger than in the species which 
attacks the culms of grasses in a similar manner, and which 
we have figured under the name of TJstilago hypodytes (plate 
III. figs. 9, 10). 
There are not many features in the rest of the species of 
this genus of sufficient interest to the general reader or micro - 
scopist to render it advisable to furnish any detailed account of 
them. We may, however, note that in a species found but 
rarely on the leaves of the common cocksfoot-grass the spores 
are large, obovate, and rough with minute granules. The 
spores of TJstilago utriculosa , found on different species of 
Polygonum , instead of being granulated are reticulated on the 
surface (plate III. figs. 33 — 37). The chief interest attaching 
to TJstilago antherarum consists in its habitat, for it is de- 
veloped in the anthers of the flowers of the bladder campion, 
and other plants of the same natural order. The anthers are 
much swollen and distorted by this parasite, which is not 
uncommon, though easily overlooked unless specially sought 
after (plate III. figs. 16 — 18. A list of all the British species 
will be found at the close of this paper. It will be noted 
that as in the genus JEcidium the prevailing colour of the 
spores is orange, so in the genus TJstilago it is black, with 
a purplish or violaceous tinge. 
