486 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



attacked was either imperfectly dry when used for building, or the con- 

 ditions it was subject to in the building itself induced dampness and 

 encouraged the growth of the fungus. 



Fomes lucidus, a Root-disease of the Coconut Palm.* — T. Petch 

 has investigated this disease, one of long standing, which has now and 

 again caused the death of the Palms. The first symptoms of the disease 

 are the withering and drooping of the outer leaves and the failure of the 

 nuts to set, the tree becoming barren. When examined microscopically 

 the root tissues were found to be invaded by mycelium, and a culture of 

 the diseased roots produced the well-known sporophores of Fomes lucidus. 

 Petch says there is little hope of saving a tree attacked ; he recommends 

 that such trees should be cut down and carefully burned ; a trench should 

 be cut 2 feet deep round the diseased tree, and the hole from which the 

 tree has been dug should be left open for a year at least. 



Notes on the Larger Fungi.f — The series of coloured plates is con- 

 tinued in the Journal of the Board of Agriculture. Three plates are 

 published of species of Lepiota and Amanitopsis, with descriptions, 

 habitat, etc. 



G. Massee % describes a new species of Marasmius named M. Raffillii, 

 that was found growing in Kew Gardens. The fungus is distinguished 

 by its excentric stem and is probably exotic. This is recorded in the 

 Additions to the Wild Fauna and Flora of the Royal Botanic Gardens, 

 Kew. 



A fourth set§ of three coloured plates of edible fungi has been issued 

 by the Board of Agriculture. These are : — Tricholoma personatum 

 Glitocybe maxima and Tricholoma nudum. Popular descriptions of 

 these fungi are published with the plates. 



Assimilation of Nitrogen by Yeast Fungus. || — H. Zikes conducted 

 his research with a yeast belonging to the Fungi imperfecti which he 

 has determined as Torula Wiesneri sp. n. He grew the yeast in glucose 

 solutions free from nitrogen, and found that after growth the solution 

 contained perceptible quantities of nitrogen. The paper is accompanied 

 by an extensive bibliography of the subject. 



Mycological Notes. f — C. G. Lloyd publishes a sketch of the life and 

 work of the distinguished mycologist, G. Bresadola. An account is given 

 of the Polypores in Persoon's herbarium at Leyden with notes on species 

 now classified under Folyporus, Folystictus, Fomes, Trametcs and Foria, 

 and finally a description of Geaster Dybowslci, a species very near to 

 G. velutinus, of which it may be a form with a striated opening. 



New or Critical Fungi.**-— F. von Hohnel has published further 

 extensive notes on a large number of genera and species, mostly collected 

 in Java. The notes include criticisms and comparisons of previously 



* Circ. Agric. Journ. 11. Bot. Gard. Ceylon, iv. No. 24 (1910) pp. 323-36. 

 t Journ. Board Agric, xvii. (1910) pp. 45-6. 

 X Kew Bull., 1909, pp. 373-G. 

 § Journ. Board. Agric, xvii. (1910) pp. 126-7. 

 || SB. Akad. Wis*. Math. -Nat. KL, cxviii. (1909) pp. 1091-1133. 

 «j[ Cincinnati, No. 35 (1910) pp. 462-76 (6 tigs.). 

 ** SB. Akad. Wiss. Matk.-Nat. KL, cxviii. (1909) pp. 1157-1246 (2 pis. and 1 fig.). 



