CLINTON: NORTH AMERICAN USTILAGINEAE. 
377 
Ustilago violacea (Pers.) Fckl. 
Uredo violacea Pers., Disp. Metli. Fung., 57. 1797. 
Farinaria Stellariae Sow., Engl. Fungi, t 396, f. 1. 1803. 
Uredo antherarum DC., FI. Fr., 6: 79. 1815. 
Caeoma violaceum Nees, Syst. Pilze, 1: 14. 1817. 
Caeoma violacea Mart., FI. Crypt. Erl., 315. 1817. 
Caeoma antherarum Schl., FI. Ber., 2 : 130. 1824. 
Ustilago antherarum Fr., Syst. Myc., 3 : 518. 1832. 
Erysibe antherarum Wallr., FI. Crypt. Germ., 2 : 217. 1833. 
Microbotryum antherarum Lev., Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., hi, 8: 372. 1847 
Ustilago violacea Fckl., Symb. Myc., 39. 1869. 
Sori inconspicuous, filling swollen anthers, soon rupturing and 
disclosing violet colored dusty mass of spores; spores pale lilac to 
almost hyaline, ovoid to spherical, occasionally somewhat irregular, 
with rather conspicuous spore wall covered with numerous minute 
reticulations (1 y or less in diameter), chiefly 5.5-8.5 y in length. 
Hosts: Arenaria Groenlandica , Me., N. H., N. Y., Vt.; A. later¬ 
iflora var. glabrescens, Wash.; Cerastium maximum , Alaska; 
Lychnis sp., Minn.; Silene acaulis , 1ST. H.; S. Douglasii var. Ma- 
counii , Mont.; S. multicaulis , Wash.; S. Tetonensis, Wyo.; S. 
Watsoni, Calif., Wash.; Stellaria borealis, Greenland. 
The forms in this country on the various hosts differ somewhat 
from each other in color and size of spores, but these variations are 
connected so fully by intermediate gradations as to make specific 
distinctions impossible. The germination of this species has been 
described by Tulasne, Brefeld, Harper, and others. Literature : 20, 
41, 68, 76. 
Ustilago violacea var. major Clint. 
Ustilago violacea var. major Clint., Journ. Myc., 8: 139. 1902. 
Sori as in species but spores deeper violet and chiefly 7-12 y in 
length. 
Host: Silene Watsoni, Wash, (type). 
European botanists seem inclined to keep Schroter’s species of 
Ustilago major on Silene Otites distinct from Ustilago violacea. 
The spores of the variety described here are much like those of this 
species, and if the two are the same it seems doubtful if the Euro¬ 
pean form deserves specific rank. This variety represents the 
