228 The Philippine Journal of Science ms 



Petch u gives the following discussion of the distribution of 

 Xylaria nigripes: 



Summing up, we find that Sclerotum stipitatum has been found in ter- 

 mite nests in India, Ceylon, Java, and Africa; Xylaria nigripes occurs in 

 the same situation in Ce_lon, Java, Madagascar, and probably Brazil; 

 and Xylaria furcata in Ceylon and Java. X. nigripes has been recorded 

 from other countries also, without any reference to its connection with 

 termite nests. But in all such cases it is said to grow on the ground, 

 not on wood. In Ceylon neither X. nigripes nor X. furcata are found 

 except growing from termite nests. 



The writer has not observed any Xylaria-like structures in 

 termite nests, but Blanco 12 describes, under the name Sclerotium 

 subterraneum, some sclerotia which came from a termite nest 

 and which, judging by his description, had an appearance very 

 similar to the larger form above considered. According to 

 Petch 13 similar structures are found in India, Ceylon, Java, 

 and Africa. Blanco's name is older than Sclerotum stipitatum 

 Berk, and Curr. 



The general appearance of the substance of the black net- 

 work which grew over the combs in the vicinity of Manila and 

 Los Banos, was very similar to the stromata of the Xylaria, 

 while the structure of the individual cells of the two seemed 

 to be identical. On some of these threadlike growths there 

 appeared small, white, spherical sclerotia which in superfi- 

 cial appearance resembled very closely the spherical bodies 

 on the combs. These sclerotia contained only one kind of 

 conidia-like cells, but these, though smaller, have the same 

 appearance as the conidia in the spherical bodies on the cones 

 in the nests while the hyphae on which the two are borne 

 appear to be entirely similar except for size. When these 

 sclerotia were examined under a microscope they appeared to 

 arise from the cells of the black threads and no other fungus 

 hyphae were apparent. The hyphae of the sclerotia, moreover, 

 had an appearance which except for size seemed to be identical 

 with the hyphae which formed the stromata of the Xylarias. 

 The presence of these sclerotia would suggest the possibility 

 that the "conidial" spheres on the combs might grow from 

 the hyphae of the Xylaria. 



Petch observed small spherical sclerotia in his cultures. 

 These, however, contained no conidia but in two cases produced 

 Xylaria stromata. 



11 Petch, T., op. cit. 



u Blanco, M., PI. Pilip. ed. 2 (1845) 584. 



13 Petch, T., op. cit. 



