Australian Fungi.

By D. MCALPINE,

Department of Agriculture, Victoria.

Of the twelve species here recorded, three are new to science, five are new to Australia, and four have been found in new localities or on definite hostplants.

They are thus classified :—

GROUP.-GASTROMYCETES.

Order.-LYCOPERDACEÆ.

51. Battarrea phalloides, Pers.-Phallus-like Battarrea.

GROUP.-UREDINES.

Order.-UREDINACEE.

52. Uromyces caryophyllinus, Schroet.-Carnation Rust.

polygoni, Fekl.-Knot-grass Uromyces.

54. Puccinia anthoxanthi, Fckl.-Sweet-scented Vernal Rust.

GROUP.-HYPHOMYCETES.
Order.-MUCEDINACEA.

56. Oidium erysiphoides, Fries.-Erysiphe-like Oidium.

57. Sterigmatocystis pulverulenta, M'Alp.-Powdery Sterigmatocystis. 58. Trichothecium roseum, Link.-Rosy Trichothecium.

Order.-DEMATIACEE.

59. Alternaria junci, M'Alp.-Rush Alternaria.

60.

rugosa, M'Alp.-Wrinkling Alternaria.

Order.-TUBERCULARIACE.

61. Fusarium solani, Sacc.-Potato Fusarium.

62.

culmorum (M'Alp.).-Wheat Fusarium.

Of the new species, Alternaria rugosa is of great economic importance, since it has been the cause of a widespread tomato disease during the past and previous seasons. Those new to Australia likewise contain some of economic interest. The Sweet-scented Vernal Rust (Puccinia anthoxanthi) attacks a grass used for giving flavour to hay, and the Carnation Rust often destroys whole plantings of the divine flower,' as the Americans call the carnation. The Fusarium solani also attacks the tomato, and the Wheat Fusarium is known to glue the spikelets together and stop the growth of the grain, giving it a spurious appearance of ripeness.

Of the others, Oidium erysiphoides has been and is very bad on members of the cucumber family, also on verbenas; while the Batlarrea phalloides, which is rather rare in Britain, and only recorded in Victoria at Lake Albacutya, was found growing at a popular seaside resort. The sunflower rust is also deserving of attention, now that its cultivation on a large scale is likely to take place for the sake of its oil.

51. Battarrea phalloides, Pers.-Phalloid-like Battarrea.

Solitary. Stem cylindrical, elongated, straight, woody, hollow, a little attenuated at each end, externally broken up into coarse fibres, biscuitcoloured, perfectly dry, like a dried-up stick; volva loose at base and buried in ground, rounded at basal end, puckered, whitish, but coloured by adhering soil; peridium cap-like, smooth, and deeply concave below, convex above, and yellowish-white, cover detaching, compressed at the sides; mass of spores dense, powdery, cinnamon-brown; capillitium threads branched, and having walls thickened in a spiral manner; spores globose, brown in the mass, but golden-yellow singly, minutely warted, 5.5-6 μ diameter.

On seaside in sandy soil, mixed with decaying roots, &c. Beaumaris, Victoria, 27th December, 1895.

The entire height of the fungus was 8 in, being smaller than the average, perhaps owing to the exposed situation in which it grew, and it was readily removed from the loose earth. The stem at its thickest part was in. diameter, the volva 2 in. long and 14 in. broad, and the peridium was 1 in. by 1 in., being compressed laterally. When found, the loose cover of the peridium was just ready to fall or be blown away, exposing the powdery cinnamon-brown stratum beneath. The smell is somewhat musty. (Figs. 1, 2, 3.)

52. Uromyces caryophyllinus, Schroet.-Carnation Rust. Uredospores.-Sori dark-brown when exposed, but long covered by epidermes, round or oblong, scattered, often confluent, up to 3 mm. long. Spores roundish to oblong, yellowish-brown to golden-brown, decidedly echinulate, average 24 μ diameter, or 21-32 x 17-21 μ.

Teleutospores.-Sori blackish-brown, oblong, confluent in elongated lines, long covered by ashy epidermis, then margined by the ruptured and rugged cuticle. Spores intermixed with uredospores, roundish, oval, or ovate, cinnamon-brown, smooth, generally thickened, with broad colourless papilla, average 28 × 19 μ, or 22-32 × 17-23 μ.

Pedicel very deciduous, hyaline, up to 45 μ long and 5 μ broad.

On stems and both surfaces of leaves of carnations. March. Near Melbourne (Niven).

There is not much difference between the naked-eye characters of the uredospore and teleutospore sori, only the latter are a little darker in colour, but the spores themselves are quite distinct, for the uredospores are covered with decided spines, while the teleutospores are smooth, and have a clear papilla at apex. The uredospores are adapted for rapid propagation, and as they are blown or washed from plant to plant they soon spread the disease to both old and young carnations. The teleutospores tide the fungus over the winter. The attention now being paid to the cultivation of carnations has caused the fungus diseases affecting them to be attended to, and in many cases means of prevention discovered. Hitherto carnation rust and carnation leaf-spot are the only two fungus diseases found in Victoria, and no doubt they exist in the other colonies if looked for. (Figs. 4, 5, 6.)

53. Uromyces polygoni, Fekl.-Knot-grass Uromyces. Uredospores.-Sori amphigenous, and on stem, rusty-brown, scattered, confluent, pulverulent, round to oval.

Uredospores globose to oval, yellowish-brown, finely echinulate, 20 μ diameter, or 20-25 × 16–20 μ.

Teleutospores. Sori blackish, bulging, elongated or oblong, bursting through browned epidermis, confluent in masses, surrounding and distorting stem, on leaves roundish.

Teleutospores globose, sub-globose or elliptical, smooth, bright chestnutbrown, apex thickened (8 thick), rounded or occasionally somewhat pointed, 22-34 × 16-20 μ, average 28 × 17 μ.

Pedicels pale yellowish, persistent, firm, long, up to 69 p.

Common. On leaves and stems of Polygonum aviculare, L., or knot-grass. January, February, March. Near Melbourne.

This species, which is now recorded for the first time in Australia, was brought under my notice by W. Niven, a student at the School of Horticulture, Burnley, but it is not at all uncommon, and probably to be met with wherever the knot-grass is growing in quantity.

The aecidiospores have not yet been found in Australia.

The uredospores are plentiful in the months mentioned, but the teleutospores more particularly in February and March. (Figs. 7, 8.)

54. Puccinia anthoxanti, Fekl.-Sweet-scented Vernal Rust. Uredospores.-Sori on both surfaces of leaves, and usually opposite to each other, solitary or in groups, lenticular, confluent, commonly about 1 mm., sometimes 3 mm., long.

Uredospores pale orange, ovate to elliptical, echinulate, average size about 25 × 17μ, or 22-32 × 15-20 μ, often borne at the end of long hyaline stalks, up to 56 μ long by 5 μ broad.

No teleutospores found.

On sweet-scented vernal grass, Anthoxanthum odoratum, L. December. Near Melbourne.

I have invariably found the uredospore-sori opposite to each other on the upper and under surface of the leaf. Sometimes there might be one large pustule on one side and two smaller side by side on the other. (Figs. 9, 10.)

55. Puccinia helianthi, Schwein.-Sunflower Rust.

Uredospores.-Sori roundish, chestnut-brown, scattered or confluent, pulverulent, moderate-sized, often on yellow or pale green spots on upper surface of leaf, but generally forming brown mass on under surface.

Uredospores globose, oval or ovate, golden-yellow, echinulate, epispore subhyaline, 21-24 μ diameter or 241-291 × 20-22 μ.

Teleutospores.-Sori roundish, dark-brown or black, prominent, scattered at first, but ultimately in clusters, confluent, dotting both surfaces of leaf, but most prominent on under.

Teleutospores intermixed with uredospores, and finally entirely teleutospores, chestnut-brown, oblong-elliptical or pear-shaped, usually rounded at base and apex, thickened at apex, slightly constricted at middle, 36-52 × 224-27 p.

Upper cell similar in colour or just a shade darker than lower, and rather larger, 22-29 × 221-27 μ.

Lower cell either the counterpart of upper or slightly tapering towards base, 17-23 x 20-22 μ.

Pedicel hyaline, more or less persistent, very long, up to 99 μ.