286 Myxomycetes. — Pflanzenkrankheiten. 



Buchet, Chermezon et Evrard. Materiaux pour la flore 

 frangaise des Myxomycetes. (Bull. Soc. myc. France. XXVIII. 

 p. 299—325. 1912.) 



Les auteurs ont recolte 77 especes dont 6 nouvelles pour la 

 France. Ils portent ä 123 le nombre des especes connues dans ce 

 pays, ä 16 celui des varietes en y comprenant 2 varietes non sig- 

 nalees anterieurement en France. Ils suivent la nomenclature de 

 L i s t e r. 



La liste generale des Myxomycetes fran^ais est tiree de 35 pu- 

 blications parues de 178P ä 1911. P. Vuillemin. 



Foex et Berthault. Une maladie du mais de Cochinchine. 

 (C. R. Ac. Sc. Paris. CLV. p. 552-554. 16 septembre 1912.) 



L'axe des epis devenu grisatre et effrite, les pieces des epillets 

 brunies, le pericarpe frequemment noirci ou charge de pustules 

 brunätres, l'albumen et l'embryon dissocies sont envahis par les 

 filaments d'un Champignon, le Dothiovella Zeae nov. spec. Les pyc- 

 nides caracteristiques de la nouvelle esp^ce ont une enveloppe 

 brune, un noyau blanc de pseudoparenchyme, des stylospores ova- 

 les ou subcylindriques, entremelees de paraphyses. 



P. Vuillemin. 



Johnston, J. R., The history and cause of the Coconutbud- 

 rot. (U. S. Dept. Ag. Bu. PI. Ind. Bull. 228. p. 5—175. pl. 1—14. 

 1912.) 



This large buUetin contains an exhaustive account of a disease 

 which has for more than thirty years been the cause of the gradual 

 dying off of coconut trees in the island of Cuba and in other por- 

 tions of the West Indies. The nature of the disease, the general 

 diagnosis, spread and loss, distribution, and extensive field, labora- 

 tory and greenhouse studies are reported in most admirable form 

 and a number of the phrases of the work are adaquately illustrated 

 by means of plates and line Sketches. 



The disease is knöwn as the but-rot because of the parts of the 

 tree infected. Early Symptoms are the yellowing and falling of 

 the leaves and the dropping of the immature nuts. Eventually the 

 entire heart of the crown is involved in a vile-smelling soft rot. 

 The spread of the disease may be very rapid. Single trees may be 

 killed in two months. Entire groves may be destro3^ed in two or 

 three years. Experimental application of various approved fungici- 

 des as remedies gave negative results. Ordinary methods of sani- 

 tation seem to be quite effective in preventing the trouble. The 

 causitive organism is a bacterium which cultural studies show is 

 practically identical with Bacillus coli (Escherich) Migula. Inocula- 

 tions into coconut seedlings with Bacillus coli of animal origin give 

 infections similar to inoculations with the coconut organisms. The 

 causative organism thrives only in the meristematic tissues which 

 are little or not at all lignified. Stomatal infections are common on 

 the young tissues. On the whole this bulletin should be most sug- 

 gestive to general plant pathologists in the matter of methods, 

 culture media and in many other ways in addition to the value of 

 the paper with reference to this particular disease. R. J. Pool. 



