JOURNAL OF MYCOLOGY 
Vol. IV. MANHATTAN, KAN., Feb., Mar., 1888. Nos. 2,3. 
REVISION OF THE GENUS DOASSANSIA, 
CORNU. 
BY DR, J. B. DR TONI, N. S. D., PADUA, ITAI.Y. 
In the year 1883, the clever French mycologist, M. Cornu (*), studying 
some fungi belonging to Ustilaginece, proposed a new genus to be named 
Doassansia , in honor of Dr. Doassans, a diligent explorer of themycologic 
flora of the Pyrenees. He proposed the following generic characters: 
‘•Fungi in planta viva parasitic!; sporse coacervatse, incarceratse; 
cortex sori cellulis simplicibus, arete adnatis; germinatio sporarumut in 
Entylomatibus coronam sporidiolorum effingit.” 
Several mycologists afterwards contributed to increase the species of 
this genus. Among them I remember especially C. Fisch, G. Winter, 
J. Schroeter and W. G. Farlow, so that the genus Doassansvt , Cornu, 
contains about ten entities, which are, however, as Mr. Schroeter (f) 
justly observes, very much like each other and can scarcely be distin¬ 
guished by the character of the matrix. 
I have been convinced by a comparative study that the matrix must 
exercise a notable influence and may probably give an explanation of the 
involucrum (cortex sori of Cornu). The matrix of Docissansia is found in 
every species described on plants either strictly aquatic or living in very 
damp places ( Alisma , Sagittaria , Potamogeton , Limosella , Butomus , Lim- 
nanthemum , Hottonia , Comarus , Lythrum hyssopifolium , Epilobium alpi- 
num); we might accordingly suppose that the “cortex sori” performed 
the office of protecting the organs of the fungus from excessive moisture. 
* 1. M. Cornu.—Sur quelques Ustilag’inees nouvelles ou peu connues. Annal. Sci. 
Nat. Botanique, 1883, p. 285. 
+ 2. J. Shroeter.—Kryptog'amen Flora von Schlesien von Prof. Dr. F. Cohn, III, 
Pilze, p. 280. Bi-eslau, 1887. 
