248 
Journal of Mycology 
[Vol. 11 
THE GENERA BALANSIA AND DOTHICHLOE IN THE 
UNITED STATES 1 WITH A CONSIDERATION 
OF THEIR ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE. 
BY GEO. F. ATKINSON. 
BALANSIA. 
The genus Balansia was described by Spegazzini 2 twenty- 
five years ago from specimens collected on spikes of Setaria or 
Pennisetum in Brazil. The genus in some respects bears a rela¬ 
tionship to Claviceps but in other respects is widely different. 
The mycelium infests the inflorescence or stems of certain grasses, 
forming a stroma or pseudosclerotium in which are mingled the 
tissues and parts of the affected host. A cross section then shows 
a mass of fungus tissue with parts of the host here and there 
as shown in Plates 81-83. In some species and especially in the 
earlier ones described the fruiting stromata, which are outgrowths 
from the vegetative stroma or sclerotum, are many of them stipi- 
tate and capitate thus resembling Claviceps purpurea, but differ¬ 
ent from Claviceps in the stroma being composite, that is, it 
consists of host elements intermingled with the fungus elements. 
Furthermore the fruiting stromata are formed during the same 
season and not after the sclerotium passes a period of rest as 
in Claviceps. Many of the fruiting stromata, however, are sessile, 
and both stipitate and sessile ones are found intermingled in 
Balansia claviceps Speg. (see Plate 87, fig. 21), the type speci¬ 
men, and in others. The conidial stage is also different from 
that of Claviceps in the species in which it has been found. The 
sessile fruiting stromata resemble in form and color the hemi¬ 
spherical or oval stromata of certain species of Hypoxylon. 
In 1875 Dr. Chas. Peck 3 described a new species of fungus 
on young fruiting spikes of Danthonia spicata from Sandlake, 
N. Y., as Epichloe hypoxylon , with the remark that “in shape and 
color this plant is suggestive of the genus Hypoxylon, but its 
habitat and spores point to Epichloe.” This species has been 
found since but a few times and is not well understood judging 
from certain specimens distributed in herbaria as Hypocrea hy¬ 
poxylon (Pk.) 4 and from the treatment of the species by Saccardo 5 
who placed it in Hypocrella ( Hypocrella hypoxylon (Pk.) Sacc.) 
1 Contributions from the Botanical Department, Cornell University 
No. 107. 
2 Fungi Argentini, Pugillus 1, No. 253, 1880. 
3 27th Rept. New York State Mus., 108, 1875. 
4 Ellis and Everhart N. A. F., No. 2373 on Panicum agrostoides, 
Jackson, Miss., 1889. 
5 Sylloge Fung., 2, 581, 1883. 
