xiii, c,4 Brown: Fungi Cultivated by Termites 227 



apical part of the fruit bodies. The spores were oval and about 

 3 by 2 fi. Petch reports simple conidia with spores from 4 

 to 6 by 2 fi from Xylaria nigripes. 



The development and general appearance of the sterile 

 Xylaria-like structures is very similar to Petch's description. 

 The forms grown by him under bell jars showed a much greater 

 tendency to branch than did the form under discussion; and 

 were in general smaller, the longest mentioned by him having 

 a length of only 14 cm. Petch, however, describes other forms 

 which grew out of a deserted nest from combs 40 to 50 cm 

 below the surface. These must have had a length comparable 

 to that of those grown in Manila. The larger of the Manila 

 types is, moreover, paralleled to some extent by sclerotia which 

 he found in the same nest. These are described as black, ir- 

 regular or fig-shaped, up to 8 cm in length and 3 cm in breadth. 

 The lower left-hand figure in Plate IV, fig. 3 agrees very well 

 with this description. 



Petch ,0 in writing of the Xylarias on termite combs says: 



To simplify matters, we may for the present adopt von Hohnel's view, 

 that there are two species of Xylaria present. 



Petch, however, apparently thinks that there is only one 

 species as in discussing the number of species or termite combs, 

 he says : 



Apparently there are two, but t' e/e are several facts which make it 

 probable that these are forms of one species. 



If there is only one species present, this is Xylaria nigripes 

 Klotzsch. The ascigerous forms of Xylaria nigripes occurs at 

 Los Bafios on deserted termite nests, so that, although no con- 

 nection has been traced between the Xylaria grown on termite 

 cones and the ascigerous form of Xylaria nigripes, it is probable 

 that this species is represented among the sterile forms. 

 Xylaria furcata is a dichotomously branched species. The only 

 dichotomously branched specimen in my cultures was an abor- 

 tive one grown at Los Bafios. This never turned black and 

 did not develop further than the loose feathery stage. On the 

 other hand, the catenulate spores, mentioned above, are similar 

 to those ascribed to Xylaria furcata. The absence of branched 

 specimens and the presence of these spores would seem to be 

 another point of evidence indicating that Xylaria furcata is 

 simply a form of XylaHa nigripes. 



10 Petch, T., op. cit. 



