Puccinia alboclava has been found only upon the soft leaves of Clematis indivisa seedlings in the interior of moist montane forests. At present it is known from the vicinity of Dunedin and from the centre of the North Island but it will probably prove to occur in suitable intermediate localities. Species of Puccinia possessing almost colourless teleutospores are rare and this appears to be the first recorded on Clematis. The only other rust producing teleutospores on this host in New Zealand is P. clavata Syd. P. clavata is normally found on mature foliage, its teleutosori are black, and the spores themselves larger (56μ × 19μ), stouter-walled and pigmented. The pale grey to buff colour of P. alboclava lesions readily distinguishes them in the field, and the comparatively delicate spores appear quite colourless when examined microscopically. The microcyclic nature of P. alboclava was confirmed by infecting C. indivisa seedlings with teleutospore inoculum under controlled conditions employing apparatus comparable with that recommended by Arthur (1929, fig. 183). In the first of these experiments few epibasidia were formed by the inoculum and only two lesions developed on plants placed beneath it, but on the second occasion 18 lesions formed. They became recognisable after about a month as pale areas on the lower leaf surface, and a week later had assumed a diameter of about 2.5 mm. with a pale orange centre where the first sori were erupting. Though both experiments were performed in the spring, teleutospores were the first and only spore form produced. The Life Cycle of Puccinia Clavata Syd. The full series of spore forms attributed to P. clavata by Cunningham (1931, p. 147) implies that this species is macrocyclic and autoecious. But Table I shows that the pycnidia and aecidia are unknown apart from the 1928 Weraroa collection, and that the teleutospore and uredospore stages ordinarily occur quite independently. This suggests that P. clavata, which was originally described from teleutospore material alone, is normally microcyclic, a conclusion that has been confirmed by controlled inoculations, details of which are given in Table II. Table II. Controlled Inoculations. A. Employing teleutospores of Puccinia clavata. Date Inoculum on Source Host Tested Result 13/6/51 C. hexasepala Weraroa Sandhills, Wgtn. C. indivisa Many teleutosori 23/8/51) C. foetida Taieri Mouth, Dunedin C. indivisa Nil 14/10/51 6/5/52) 16/11/52 C. foetida Taieri Mouth, Dunedin C. indivisa Nil C. foetida Many teleutosori B. Employing uredospores of Uredo puawhananga. 11/12/53 C. indivisa Swampy Spur, Dunedin C. indivisa Uredosori only (seedlings) C. foetida Nil These experiments also demonstrate the existence of physiologic races of P. clavata. Four attempts to transfer it from C. foetida to C. indivisa failed and this accords with field evidence in that at Dunedin C. indivisa is unattacked by this fungus though it may be plentiful on C. foetida growing in close proximity to it. On the other hand the single attempt to transfer the disease from C. hexasepala to C. indivisa caused heavy infections involving petioles and stems as well as foliage.