FOMES LUCIDUS, Fries. 

 (Root Disease of Coconut.) 



Coconut palms in Ceylon have been reported to be 

 suffering with a disease caused by this fungus. The 

 symptoms of the disease appear to vary somewhat according 

 to the situation in which the plants are growing ; in drier 

 situations the progress of the disease is more rapid than in 

 well-cultivated, moister places. The outer leaves wither 

 and droop, remaining suspended around the stem, the tree 

 produces no fruit, the younger leaves are very small and 

 yellowish, and, finally, these young leaves wither and the 

 bud decays. 



In addition to attacking the coconut palm, the fungus 

 is considered to cause a root disease of Areca catecJiu in 

 India, and has alsobeen thought to be parasitic on other plants. 



It is interesting to note that Diplodia cacaoicola, which 

 has been said to cause a root disease of the coconut palm 

 in Trinidad, also occurs in Ceylon on the dead or diseased 

 roots of the same plant, but is not considered to be the 

 cause of the disease. Dr. Butler has also found a species 

 of Botryodiplodia on diseased roots of the coconut in 

 Travancore. 



The following treatment has been recommended for the 

 root disease in Ceylon : 



Dead or badly diseased trees should be felled, and the 

 butt end of the stem should be dug out and burnt, together 

 with the lowest 2 or 3 feet of that part of the stem which 

 is above ground. A trench, at least two feet deep, should 

 be dug around the diseased patch, as far away from the 

 diseased trees as possible. 



Diagnosis. Pileus suberose, then woody, flabelliform, 

 sulcate, with a lateral stalk, yellow changing to reddish- 

 brown ; pores long, minute, cinnamon coloured. 



PETCH : Circulars and Agricultural Journal, Royal 

 Botanic Gardens, Ceylon, Vol. IV., No. 24, 1910. 



Thelephorace^e. 



HYMENOCH^TE NOXIA, Berk. 

 (Bark Fungus of Cacao.) 



This species was discovered in Samoa in 1875, where it 

 was reported to occur more especially on the bread fruit 

 tree, Artocarpus incisa ; recently it has made its appearance 

 on cacao in West Africa. 



35 



