Cytology of aeciospores and aeciospore germ tubes of two pine rusts, Peridermium harknessii J. P. Moore and P. stalactiforme Arth. & Kern, was compared. In P. harknessii the mycelial cells giving rise to aecia were uninucleate. Young aeciospores were usually binucleate but most of them became uninucleate during maturation. Upon germination, nuclear division and septum formation occurred and germ tubes were divided into two, three, or four cells, each of which usually contained one nucleus. One to three side branches developed and nuclei migrated into them. Basidiospores were not produced. Despite the absence of basidiospores, P. harknessii is interpreted as having an endo-type life cycle with nuclear fusion and meiosis. In P. stalactiforme, aeciospores were binucleate and, upon germination, two nuclei migrated into the germ tube. The nuclei remained undivided during the formation of appressoria and infection pegs. Septa were not observed and branching was dichotomous or irregular.