802 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Notes on Myxomycetes.*— ('. J. Lloyd reports an instance of a fly 

 forming a nest in Enteridium rozeanum Lister. He also publishes ;i list 

 of Myxomycetes collected by him in Samoa, and determined by Macbride. 

 Be remarks on the wide distribution of species as exemplified in this 

 collection. Though the island is so far distant not one of the species is 

 new. 



Schizophyta. 

 Schizomycetes. 



Bacterial Diseases of Orchids.f — G. L. Pavarino describes a bac- 

 terium which he found in the leaves of Cattleya warneri and C. fiarri- 

 sonise. This organism, Bacterium cattleyse, varies in size and shape 

 according to the age of the culture. It is aerobic, Gram-negative, 

 but stains well, especially with gentian-violet. It forms spores. It was 

 cultivated in broth and on agar and gelatin. Healthy plants when in- 

 oculated with pure cultures showed appearances similar to those in the 

 naturally acquired disease. 



From Odontoglossum citrosomum was isolated Bacillus pollacii, which 

 was the cause of black spots. It is from 8-10 fx long and 1 /j. broad. It 

 forms spores ; is easily stained, but is decolorized by Gram's method. It 

 is aerobic, and grows well in broth and on gelatin and agar. Experi- 

 ments with pure cultures seemed to show that the organism gains 

 entrance through a damaged cuticle. 



Bacterium krameriani produces disease of the leaves and pseudo- 

 bulbs of Oncidium Tcramerianum. The organism is a rodlet 2-3 //. long 

 and ' 6-0*8 fi broad. It has no special disposition, but is found 

 mostly singly or in pairs. It forms spores ; is easily stained, but is Gram- 

 negative. It is cultivable on agar and gelatin and in broth ; some of 

 the media present a greenish-yellow hue. Appearances similar to the 

 natural disease were produced by hypodermic inoculation of healthy 

 leaves. 



Bacillus farnetianus was obtained from diseased specimens of On- 

 cidium ornithorincum and Cattleya crispa. This organism may attain a 

 length of 15 /a and is from ■ 8-1 /a broad : it may form quite long fila- 

 ments. It is an imperfect Gram-stainer. It was cultivated on agar and 

 gelatin and in broth. Inoculations of healthy plants were successful. 



.- 



Bacillus Cypripedii.J — S. Hori describes a new species of bacterium 

 which causes "brown rot," a disease chiefly affecting the leaves of 

 tropical orchids. Bacillus Gyprvpedii is a slender bacillus with rounded 

 ends, occurring singly or in short chains. It is 1*5-2 p. long and 

 0-5-0-7 fi broad. It is motile, having four peritrichous flagella 10/x 

 long. It stains by Gram's method. It does not form spores. On agar 

 the colonies are white, and on potato of a dirty cream colour; forms a 

 scum on broth ; liquefies gelatin ; coagulates milk ; forms much gas on 

 glucose media. It rapidly decolorizes methylen-blue broth. It is a 



* Cincinnati, Ohio, No. 37 (1911) p. 506 (2 figs.). 



t Atti R. Accad. Lincei, xx. (1911) pp. 233-7. 



I Centralbl. Bakt. 2^ Abt., xxxi. (1911) pp. 85-92 (2 figs.). 



