2.38 PETCH : THE FFNGT 



yellowish gray and rough with the black projecting ostiola. 

 They occur singly or in groups, arising from long black 

 rooting cords only slightly thinner than the stalk. Occasion- 

 ally the apex of the root divides and produces two or three 

 stromata, and rarely a stroma may be branched, but in 

 general the stromata are unbranched and only one arises from 

 each root. Their growth is remarkably rapid, and it is not 

 uncommon to find full-sized stromata in localities where it is 

 certain that their development has only occupied a few hours. 

 On the other hand the perithecia ripen very slowly, and one 

 cannot be certain of obtaining ripe spores until they have been 

 ejected and form a black glutinous coat over the yellowish 

 gray clava. The spores are broadly cymbiform, 4-5 x 3 /*, 

 black with a thick, slightly transparent wall : apparently the 

 ascus is expelled from the perithecium and is resolved into a 

 gelatinous coat which binds the eight spores together. The 

 size given above agrees fairly with Berkeley's measurement, 

 5 x 4 ft. Berkeley says that Xylaria nigripes grows on dead 

 wood, obviously a somewhat peculiar position for a species 

 which has a root several feet in length. I did not follow up 

 the roots of my earlier specimens, nor did I attribute any 

 special significance to the fact that they were all within a short 

 distance of termite nests. 



At the beginning of August, 1906, towards the close of the 

 monsoon rains, my attention was directed to several patches 

 of conidial Xylarias in various places in the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens and elsewhere. These conidial forms were long and 

 slender, usually simple, of all lengths up to about 15 centi- 

 metres, and 1-2 millimetres in diameter. They had a distinct 

 black stalk and a long, black, thin, rooting base. Theconidia 

 were narrow-oval, 0-7 x 2 /*, on simple conidiophores. 



These stromata occurred in scores, growingjclosely together 

 mi well defined areas lip to 60 cms. in diameter which were 

 whitened by the myriads of conidia. On the second or third 

 day the peritheoial stromata of Xylnriu iiiyripts appeared, not 

 in such abundance bul onlj a dozen or so on each patch. At 



