tECIDIUM p i n i .
Pine jEcidium.
V » C lass a n d O r d r k CRYPTOGAMIA FUNGI, Linn— ^Na t . O r d . G A S T RO M YC l, Grev.
—EPIPHYTjE, itWc.—FUNGI, De Cand. Hook.
GENERIC CHARACTER.
Peridia in foliis vivis parasitica, teretia, membranacea, apice dehiscentia; ore
plerumque dentato, Sporidia globosa minutissima, libera, pidverulenta.
Peridium (membrane enclosing the sporidia) parasitic on living leaves,
smooth, membranaceous, bursting at the apex ; mouth generally den-
tated. Sporidia (little roundish bodies containing sporules) very minute,
free, and dust-like.
s p e c i f i c c h a r a c t e r .
j E c i d h jm Pini, sparsum, exsertum ; peridio pallido-Jlavo oblongo-cmnpresso {ore
lacero), polvere aurantiaco copiosissimo. Sporidiis sphcericis.—D e C a n d .
M. scattered, exserted ; peridium pale, yellowish-orange, large, oblong, somewhat
compressed, containing a great profusion of bright orange spherical
sporules. Orifice irregularly torn.
j E c i d i u m Pini, Pers. in Gmel. Syst. Nat. p. 1473-—Pers. Syn. Fung. p. 213.
—Decand. Fl. F ra n f. v. 2. p. 237—Fjusd. Syn. p. 49 Alb. et Schw. p. 120.
—Moug. et Nest. Plant. Fxs. No. 186— Humb. Fl. Friberg. Spec. p. 128,
L ycoperdon Pini, Willd. in Bot. Mag. B. 2. p. 16. No. 14. t 4. f. IS.
H ab. On the leaves and even bark of the Scots Fir, Pinus sylvestris; in summer.
Very rare. Drumshoreland Muir, near Edinburgh, 1821.
Peridium much larger than in any other of the genus ; attaining the height
of 2 lines when growing from the bark, and I line or more in diameter ;
when produced on tlie leaves it is smaller. Substance, membranaceous
and delicate. Sporules most abundant, spherical or suboval, of the
brightest orange colour, and escaping by an irregular lacerated orifice at
the side or on the summit of the peridium.
In the snmmer of 1 8 2 1 ,1 was fortunate enough to find this
very rare and truly beautiful plant, in company with Mr F a l c
o n e r of Carlowrie, at Drumshoreland Muir. On the Continent,
it appears to be equally rare, from the small number of
authors who have noticed it.