Order IX.-GYMNOASCEÆ. Sadebeck.*

Without a receptacle, or an indication of one only in the more highly developed genera; asci either single or in little tufts, arising from widely creeping hyphæ; or more or less closely crowded together into hymenia; or, lastly, arising from the terminal branches of copiously ramifying hyphæ in pellets, which are covered with a lax mycelial veil.

Name-yuuvos, naked, aσкós, a leather bottle; here meaning an ascus.

GENUS I.-ASCOMYCES.

Mont. et Desm.,

Mont. et Desm., " Ann. Sc. Nat.," ser. 3, vol. xi. p. 345 (1849).

Parasitic on living plants; asci not seated on a proper receptacle, but on the cuticle of the host-plant, closely pressed together in little tufts or extended layers, arising from the mycelium, which ramifies between the epidermal cells and the cuticle. Their effect is to cause the injured parts to change colour, to swell into blisters, and become much enlarged. The asci are very small, cylindrical, clavate, or subpyriform, and contain 8 (or more ?) sporidia. (Plate XII. fig. 79.)

Name-aoκós, ascus, μúênç, a fungus; fungi consisting of asci only.

ARRANGEMENT OF THE SPECIES.

A. Perennial mycelium spreading through the

intercellular spaces of the young
shoots in spring.

(a) Asci furnished with a stem-cell .. species 1-3

(b) Asci not furnished with a stem-cell

4

* Professor Sadebeck has contributed a revision of this order to Dr. Winter's new edition of Rabenhorst's "Cryptogamin-Flora von Deutschland," the arrangement of which is followed here as regards the genus Ascomyces. The order is not included in the Discomycetes in the work quoted.

1.

On herbaceous plants..

(On leaves of Alnus glutinosus: sporidia 8

On female catkins of Alnus glutinosus: sporidia

more than 8 ..

On leaves of Juglans regia

On branches and leaves of Betula alba

On leaves of Pyrus communis, Crataegus Oxycantha,
and C. monogynea

On young fruit of Prunus domestica, P. Padus, and
P. spinosa

On leaves and branches of Prunus avium, P.
Cerasus, P. domestica, P. Chamacerasus, and

2

Tosquinetii.

Alni.
Juglandis.
turgidus.

bullatus.

Pruni.

Persica vulgaris, P. amygdalus, and P. communis deformans.

(On Potentilla Tormentilla

2.

Potentillæ. Trientaltis.

A. PERENNIAL MYCELIUM SPREADING THROUGH THE INTERCELLULAR SPACES OF THE YOUNG SHOOTS OF THE INFECTED PLANT IN SPRING.

(a) Asci furnished with a stem-cell.

1. Ascomyces Pruni. (Tul.)

On unripe fruit of Prunus domestica, spinosa, and Padus, deforming them; asci oblong-clavate, rounded or truncate at the summit; sporidia 8, broadly elliptic, about 6 × 4u.

Taphrina Pruni-Tul. in "Ann. Sc. Nat.," ser. 5, vol. v. p. 129; Johanson, "Vet. Ac. Handl.," arg. 42, p. 32. Exoascus Pruni-Fckl., "Symb. Myco.,” p. 252; Sadebeck in Rabh., "Krypt. Flo.," p. 5, fig. 3. Ascomyces Pruni-B. and Br., “Ann. Nat. Hist.," No. 1629; “Ğrevillea," v. p. 62.

Exs.-Fckl., "F. Rh.," 1081; Kunze, "Fung. Sel," 167; Rabh., "Fung. Eur.," 1167; Rehm, "Asco.," 130; Thum., " Fung. Aus.," 504; Thum., "Mycoth. Univ.,” 976.

On fruit of Prunus Padus, P. domestica, and P. spinosa. June.

Name From the host plant.

Bishop's Castle, Salop! Sibbertoft (Rev. M. J. Berkeley).

2. Ascomyces deformans. Berk.

Hypophyllous, rendering the matrix here and there bullate, sprinkled with a white powder; asci short, cylindrical; sporidia elliptic, hyaline, 7 x 5μ.

Ascomyces deformans-Berk. in "Outl.," 376, t. i. f. 9, A, B; and "Crypt. Bot.," p. 284; Cooke, "Handbk.,"

No. 2233.

Exoascus deformans-Fckl., “Symb. Myco.," p. 252; Sadebeck in Rabh., "Crypt. Flo.," p. 6. Taphrina deformans-Tul., "Ann. Sc. Nat.," ser. 5, vol. v. p. 129. Exoascus Wiesneri-Rathey, "Oest. Bot. Zeit.," 1880, No. 7.

Exs.-Fckl., "F. Rh.," 2063 and 2275; Kunze, " Fung. Sel.," 168, 274; Winter, "Fungi Eur.," 2035; Rehm, Asco.," 370.

On living leaves of peach. June.

Sadebeck says (l. c.) that this species produces the "witches' besoms" on Prunus Avium, P. Cerasus, P. domestica, and P. Chamacerasus; also the so-called "curl" disease of Persica vulgaris, P. Amygdalus, and P. communis. Asci 42 to 50μ long, 5 to 7μu broad; the stem-cell 16μ or more high, 5μ, but mostly only 1.5 to 2u, broad. Notwithstanding their pointed lower ends, the stem-cells do not force themselves between the epidermal cells, but are seated on them.

Name-Deformo, to deform.

3. Ascomyces bullatus. B. and Br.

Tufts punctiform, at length confluent, at first covered by the epidermis, which it raises in blisters; asci clavate; sporidia 8, ovate or elliptic, subgelatinous, hyaline.

Ascomyces bullatus-B. and Br. in Berk., "Outl.," p. 376; "Crypt. Bot.," p. 284; Cooke, "Handbk.,'

No. 2232; Gill., "Champ.," p. 201. Oidium bullatum -B. and Br., "Jour. Hort. Soc.," ix. p. 51, with fig. Taphrina bullata-Tul., "Ann. Sc. Nat.," ser, 5, vol. v. p. 127; Johanson, "Vet. Ac. Handl.," 42, p. 33. Exoascus bullatus-Fckl., "Symb. Myco.," nacht. ii. p. 49; Sadebeck, l. c.

Exs.—Fckl., “F. Rh.,” 2551; Thum., “Fung. Aus.,” 972 and 1056.

On living pear-leaves. It also occurs on Crataegus Oxycanthus, and C. monogyna. April and May.

The asci are 30-37 x 8u; the sporidia 45u (Sadebeck, l. c.). Asci 15-25 x 10μ (Cooke, l. c.). Name-Bullata, a blister; blistered. Shrewsbury!

(b) Asci not furnished with a stem-cell.
4. Ascomyces Potentillæ. (Farlow.)

Decolorizing (to pale yellow-green) the branches and leaves, rendering the branches several times thicker than their natural size; asci clavate, rounded or truncate at the summit, attenuated below into a slender, non-septate stem, continuous with the mycelium, which spreads through the intercellular spaces of the epidermis; sporidia 8, oblong-elliptic, 5-8 × 4u.

Exoascus deformans, var. Potentilla-Farlow," Proc. Am. Ac. A. and S.," xviii. (1883), p. 84. Taphrina Tormentilla-Rost., "Bot. Tid.," ser. 3, vol. iv. (18841885), p. 239; Johanson, "Vet. Ac. Handl.," 42 (1885), p. 29, t. 1, f. 2.

On Potentilla Tormentilla, Scop.

The asci in the Scottish specimen are truncate or rounded at the summit, and attenuated downwards more or less equally to a slender stem-like base, arising directly from the branching hyphæ beneath the cuticle, 30 to 50μ high, 7 to 9u in the broadest part, and 2μ in the narrowest part. The sporidia are confined to the broad upper half of the ascus, elliptic, and (as I measure them) 4-5 x 2-2.5μ.

Craigiebuckler Wood, Aberdeen! (Dr. James W. H.

Trail).

B. THE MYCELIUM SPREADING ONLY BETWEEN THE EPIDERMAL CELLS AND THE CUTICLE.

(a) Asci furnished with a stem-cell.

5. Ascomyces Tosquinetii. West.

Producing blisters on the upper surface of the leaves; asci cylindrical or cylindraceo-clavate, round at the summit, truncate at the base; sporidia 8, spherical, 4—5μ broad.

Ascomyces Tosquinetii-West in "Bull. l'Acad. Belg.," ser. 2, vol. xi. p. 655; Phil. and Plow., "Grevillea," vi. p. 25; Gill., " Champ.," p. 201. Exoascus Alni-De Bary in Fckl., Symb. Myco.," p. 252. Taphrina alnitorqua -Tul., "Ann. Sc. Nat.," ser. 5, vol. 5, p. 130. Exoascus Tosquinetii-Sacc., "Mich.," iv. p. 433.

Exs.-Fckl., "F. Rh.," 2276; Rehm's "Asco.," 217; Phil., "Elv. Brit.," 150; Rabh., "Fung. Eur.," 1837; Thum., "Fung. Aus.," 183; and "Mycoth. Univ.," 81. On living leaves of Alnus glutinosus. July and August.

Name-After M. Tosquinet.

6. Ascomyces Alni. B. and Br.

Deforming the inflorescence; sporidia numerous in each ascus.

Ascomyces Alni-B. and Br., "Ann. Nat. Hist.," No. 1628; Grevillea," v. p. 62; not Exoascus Alni-De Bary. Exoascus alnitorqua, form Alni incana-Kühn in Rabh., "Fung. Eur.," No. 1616. Ascomyces Tosquinetii (West)-Kunze, “Fung. Sel.," 369. Exoascus Álni, De Bary, form strobilina-Thum. in Rehm's "Asco.," 518. Exs.-Rabh., "Fung. Eur.," 1616; Kunze, “Fung. Sel.," 369; Rehm, "Asco.," 518.

On female catkins of Alnus glutinosus.

Differs from other species in the asci containing more numerous sporidia, which are only 0002 to 0003 inch