505 
Mycological Notes. 
By Byron D. Hasstep. 
A Pineapple Mould—Some specimens of decayed pineapple 
obtained in the market when sliced and placed in moist chambers 
in the laboratory developed in 36 hours a profuse and pure culture 
of a beautiful mould, which at first sight might have been mistaken 
for the common Penicillium. When microscopically examined, 
however, it was determined that it was a species of Chalara, and 
agrees quite closely with Chalara paradoxa (de Seynes) Sacc., 
described in Sylloge Fungorum, 10: 595, and recorded for de- 
caying pineapple in Paris, France. 
The fungus as it appears upon the sliced pineapple may be 
quite completely divided into two portions. One consisting of 
hyaline perpendicular threads giving the mould in its early stages 
a frosty appearance not unlike that of Peronospora upon the leaf 
surface of their hosts, only much more magnified. Below and 
close to and even within the substance of the pineapple there soon 
follow a second spore development, which is also profuse, and on 
account of the prevailing olive color of the spores the whole ap- 
pearance suggests, as before stated, that of the Penicillium. 
The two forms of spores are very different, both as to their 
size and color and their method of formation. The first form of 
spore is usually hyaline, cylindrical, obtuse, and from 4-5 by 6— 
10 #, while the second form is ovoid, oblong, olive brown and 8—9 
to 16~18 4. 
The hyaline form of spore, which may be called the microspore, 
is formed endogenously and new spores are pushed out from the 
open end of a tip with considerable rapidity, The Cha/ara admits 
of easy cultivation in Van Teighem cells and the exogenous forma- 
tion of these spores may be readily seen under higher powers of 
the microscope. 
Before any spores have become separated from the long, 
straight tip of the filament there is a rounding off and a separa- 
tion of the contents in the upper 10 / of the tip. Following this 
there is a rupturing of the cell wall at the end of the hypha, and 
