Puccinia Geranii silvatici , Karst . . 35 
of a fairly long sterigma (Fig. 2). When germinating while 
floating on the surface of water the promycelia are frequently 
aerial. The upper promycelium emerges from the apex, 
while the lower comes from a point near the stalk, and not as 
usual from near the septum (Figs. 2, 3). This displacement of 
the germ-spore from near the septum to near the stalk is inter- 
esting as being the reverse of that which obtains in the spores 
of Gymnosporangium , where the same thing occurs in the upper 
spore-cell. I know of only one other Puccinia which exhibits 
this peculiarity, namely P. W attiana on Clematis puberula 
(Fig. 4). The sporidia are oval and colourless and measure 
14 -13x7- 6 [i. Secondary sporidia are sometimes formed, 
but not frequently. 
Having obtained specimens of P. Geranii silvatici , Karst, 
through the kindness of Dr. P. Dietel, gathered in the 
Engadine (St. Moritz and Pontresina), I compared it carefully 
with the Simla species. In general habit the two species 
appear to be very much alike, but the microscopic characters 
of the spores differ somewhat. In the first place I convinced 
myself that the surface of the lower cell is not tuberculated as 
a rule in the European species (Fig. 6) ; and in the second 
place the spores are larger, measuring (according to my own 
measurements) 33 — 24x21 — 18/x after lying twenty-four 
hours in water. These differences are, however, slight, and 
not sufficient perhaps to warrant their separation as distinct 
species. But the Himalayan fungus may be regarded as 
a distinct variety. 
