May 1904] A New Species of Naemosphaera 
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A NEW SPECiES OF NAEMOSPHAERA. 
W. A. KELLERMAN. 
Inspecting some old stems of the common Prickly Lettuce— 
Lactuca virosa L. (or as some of the American botanists are call¬ 
ing the plant: Lactuca scariola var. integrifolia) a large quan¬ 
tity of a sphaeropsidaceous fungus was found. The stems of the 
host had been cut with the scythe late in the previous summer 
and lay exposed on a partly sodded hillside with southern ex¬ 
posure. In some cases the epidermis of the stem remained intact 
and then only the tips of barely protruding pycnidial beaks 
could be seen, but they were usually so abundant as to mark off 
quite large darkened areas, sometimes several inches in length. 
Where the epidermis was weathered away the beaks were fully 
exposed; sometimes the cortex also had disappeared and then 
the old pycnidia were seen seated directly on the woody portion 
of the stem. 
An examination of the spores showed that they were of the 
Sphaeropsis type — being one-celled — and deeply colored. In 
that genus, however, the pycnidium is not beaked, and hence a 
closer affinity is shown to Sphaeronaema. Saccardo’s first list of 
species of this genus (Sylloge Vol. 4) is divided into two sec¬ 
tions, namely, Eu-sphaeronaema [Sporulae subhyalinae], and 
Naemosphaera [Sporulae coloratae]. Only two species were 
listed in the last section. In Sylloge, Vol. 10, Naemosphaera is 
listed as a genus and five additional species are enumerated. To 
this list must be added the species here described which may be 
named Naemosphaera lactucicola. 
The accompanying figures illustrate the species in question. 
A twig is shown natural size in the Fig. Four pycnidia with in¬ 
dication of epidermis, slightly magnified are illustrated in Fig. (P.) 
Naemosphaera lactucicola Kellerm. To the left a stem of Lactuca virosa 
showing cluster of pycnidia; these removed and enlarged are shown at P, the 
fragments of epidermis indicated also. Four spores (sp.) are figured in outline, 
x 900; also 2 germinating spores (g). 
