CAROTINOIDS IN THE CRYPTOGAMS 117 



spectroscopic absorption bands and color reactions of the lipochromes 

 from higher plants. This was confirmed by Zopf (1892b) for Peziza 

 aurantia, who at the same time reported lipochromes in two other 

 Discomycetes, namely, Lcotia lubrica and Spathularia flavida Pers., 

 but was unable to find lipochrome in Bulgaria inquinans (=poly- 

 morpha). The presence of carotinoids in the two first mentioned was 

 later confirmed by Kohl (1902) using the Molisch test. Leotia 

 lubrica, however, owes its color in part to a green colored pigment as 

 well as to chromolipoid (Zopf, 1890). It is of interest to note also 

 that Zopf (1889c, 1892b) reported that carotinoid-like pigments could 

 be isolated from various species of Ascobolus, which flourish on the 

 feces of animals. 



Among the Pyrcnomycetes Bachmann (1886) first reported unsap- 

 onifiable lipochrome in Nectria cinnabarina (Tode) Fries., which was 

 later studied in detail together with the pigments of Polystigma rub- 

 rum Pers. and P. ochraceum (= P. fulvum D. C.) by Zopf (1890, 

 1893a). The former is a cushion shaped, red fungus found on the 

 dead branches of deciduous trees, while Polystigma attack the foliage 

 of plum trees, forming red or red-brown spots on the leaves. 



The lipochrome which Bachmann isolated from Nectria cinnabarina 

 corresponded in spectroscopic bands with xanthophyll. A red resin 

 was also reported in this fungus. Zopf used the conidial layer of the 

 fungus obtained from Aesculus Hippocastanum for his study. The 

 presence of a two-banded "carotin" was confirmed and the red resin 

 of Bachmann was found to conform to a number of other "carotinins" 

 studied by this investigator (e.g., the red pigment of Haematococcus 

 pluvialis already discussed) in that it readily formed compounds with 

 sodium and barium. The sodium salt was practically insoluble in 

 alcohol and ether, but soluble in chloroform, benzene and carbon 

 disulfide, and the barium salt was insoluble in all these solvents. The 

 ethereal solution of the base-free pigment showed two bands at 512- 

 490[A|i and 481-464(41, the solution in carbon disulfide showing three 

 bands at 575-553^.1, 530-508|4i and 494-482uu. The relation of this 

 pigment to the carotinoids remains to be determined. It was either 

 this pigment or the yellow "carotin" which responded to the Molisch 

 test in the hands of Kohl (1902) and van Wisselingh (1915). Zopf 

 called the red pigment nectriin or nectria red. 



Zopf found two pigments in Polystigma rubrum which were very 

 similar to those in N. cinnabarina, the absorption spectra of the 

 "carotin" indicating identity with the carotin of carrots, the red pig- 



