il
U R E D O G e r a n ii.
Crane’s-bill Uredo.
Cns3 a n d O r d e r CRYPTOGAMIA FUNGI, £ ! o t . - N a t . O r d . G A ST ROM YC l,
Grev. (not ilWc.J—EPIPHYTÆ, Link Part of FUNGI, De Cand. Hook.
GENERIC CHARACTER.
Peridium verum nuUum. Sporidia plerumque globosa non septata, nuda libera.
Plantulæ “ sub epidermide foliorum lierbacearum ortæ et epidermide rupia,
facile dispersa;,” (D e Cand.). Epidermis jjeridio similiima. J
No true peridium (membrane enclosing the sporidia). Sporidia mostly globose,
unilocular, naked, free,,bursting through the epidermis of the leaves
of herbaceous plants, and easily dispersed ; epidermis bearing a strong
resemblance to a true peridium.
S P E C IF IC c h a r a c t e r .
U redo Geranii; hypophylla,fusca, orbicularis, epidermide rupia cincta. Sporidiis
glohosis, interdum brevissime pedicellatis, tandem diffusis.
U. hypophyllous, dark brown, round, girt with the ruptured epidermis ;
sporidia globose, sometimes w ith an extremely short stipes, and at length
diffused.
U redo Geranii, De Cand. Syn. Fl. Gall p. 47-; FlFranç. v. 6. p. 7-3-—Enc.
Bot. 8. p. 225.—Schleich, Plant. Exs.
H ab. On the inferior surface of the leaves of various species of Geranium.
On G. pratense, in Fifeshire; and on G. pyrenawum, in the King’s Park,
Edinburgh. Summer.
Always found on the lower surface of the leaves. Pustules of different sizes,
frequently rather large, scattered, round, and o f a very dark and rich
brown colour, surrounded for some time by the remains of the ruptured
epidermis ; b u t in age, the plant often loses its circular form, and becomes
diffused, and very pulverulent. Sporidia mostly globose, chesnut-
colour under the microscope ; in some instances, there is a yellowish
centre, surrounded by a pellucid limbus, and a few are furnished with a
very minute stipes.
This plant has been discovered by continental botanists on
Geranium aconitifolium, G. molle and G. nodosum, varying
slightly in habit, according to the species on which it is parasitic.
On the two species of Geranium, pratense and pyre