Vol. VIII. No. 200. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



411 



FUNGUS NOTES. 



SUMMARY OF RECENT INFORMATION. 



The following is a short sununai-y of 

 cernini; the phmt diseases that have come 



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information con- 

 under the notice 

 of the ilycologist to the Department, since April of this year, 

 and of which mention has already been made in the Aj/ri- 

 cultural Xews. 



ON COFFEE. A disease of leaves, stems and berries due 

 to Sjihaerostilbe. flai'idnni. Massee, reported from Dominica. 

 Agricultural News, Vol.Vin,pp. 292 and .395. The illustration 

 on this page (Fig. 50) shows the fungus causing this disease, 

 and its eti'ect on a coffee leaf. A complete account of the 

 fungus is given on page 395 of the current volume of the 

 Agricultural News. 



ON GROUND NUTS. Domi" 



nica. Two fungi are report- 

 ed as causing disease of the 

 leaves: Urech antrhidis, 

 forming minute brown pus- 

 tules scattered over the 

 blades and petioles; and 

 Cercosjiora personata, form- 

 ing rather larger black 

 circular spots on the leaves; 

 on these spots the fructifica- 

 tions appear as brown 

 pustules. Uredo arnchidis has 

 also been reported from 

 Montserrat. 



A root disease due to 

 an unidentified fungus also 

 occurred in Dominica and 

 St. Kitts; the fungus was 

 found on various other 

 plants in Dominica and 

 Barbados. 



liemedial measures ap- 

 plied to the leaf diseases 

 met with partial success. 

 (Af/ricultural News, Vol. 

 Vill, pp. 315 and 347.) 



ON SC.\LE INSECTS. The 

 red lieaded fungus, Sjihaero- 

 xtilhe coccophila, has been 

 found in Dominica, St. Lucia, 

 Grenada and St. Vincent, 



on various scale in.sects, mainly however, on Mi/tilnspis 

 eifricola. Recently a different iorm of red conidial fructifica- 

 tion, either due to the moist conditions or that of a variety, 

 has been found in the interior of Dominica. 



The white-headed fungus, Ophionectria coccicola has 

 recently been recorded to be widely spread in moist situa- 

 tions in Dominica on Mytilaspds citricola and Chinnaspis 

 citri, on which it proved a most effective parasite. Both the 

 conidial and ascigerous conditions were found. 



Mi/riauijiutii Duriaei has been recorded from Dominica, 

 St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Barbados, mainly on Jifi/tilaspis 

 citricola and C'/tionaspis citri. It appears to occur more 

 generally on those insects living on twigs or stems, rather 

 than on those living on leaves. 



The Shield Scale fungus has been found in Antigua, 

 Dominica, Grenada, St. Vincent and Barbados. The scales 

 attacked were Lecaiiium idride, L. hesperidum, L. nigrum, 

 L. oleae, L. hemisphericum. It is most effective in moist 





situations, but has also been recorded by Mrs. Patterson on 

 a guava in St Vincent, growing in a somewhat windy 

 situation; though under these circumstances its effect was 

 considerably diminished. The same observer has recorded the 

 occurrence of the same, or a very similar fungus, on aphids. 

 It is interesting to note that the red- and white-headed 

 fungi and the shield scale fungus have been found growing 

 on scale insects in Dominica on a plantation of limes, in the 

 forest, which was at .some distance from any other limes. 

 This would seem to indicate that these fungi may have spread 

 to tlie insects on the limes from others on the forest trees, 

 and that the fungi are very possibly native to Dominica. 



Further observations in 

 connexion with this idea 

 would be useful. (Agri- 

 cultural News, Vol. Vill, 

 pp. 154, 186, 202, 299.) 



In addition to what has 

 been said, it may be stated 

 that a disease of lime roots 

 occurring in Antigua and 

 Dominica, and a m i n o r 

 disease of cotton bolls from 

 Montserrat are under inves- 

 tigation, and it is hoped 

 that some account of these 

 di.seases will be published 

 shortly. Investigations are 

 also being made into preva- 

 lence of species of Lasiodi- 

 2)lodia, one of which attacks 

 cacao, and as to the possible 

 identity of some of the.se 

 fungi with that on cacao. 

 It is becoming apparent that 

 the latter genus and some 

 of its allies are very wide- 

 spread and probably of con- 

 siderable importance in these 

 islands. 



To illustrate this, it is only 

 necessary shortly to sunima- 

 ;. 49. SrH\ERosTiLBE FLAVIDUM, Massee. rize the species already known 



(Kindly lent by H.M. Stationery Office.) in the West Indies. Diplodia 



cacaoicnla occurs on cacao, causing 'Brown Pod', and 'Die 

 back', and also is found on sugar-cane. Jjisidijilodia sp. attacks 

 the roots and stems of cacao, and has been known to occur 

 on the pods. There is evidence to indicate that th«se two 

 fungi are identical. Diplodia, epicocos is reported as occurr- 

 ing, in conjunction with Pestalozzia paliaarum, on cocoa-nut 

 palm leaves, and Botryodiplodia sp. causes a root disease of the 

 same tree. Botryodiplodia dipilocarpa has been found 

 attacking orange trees. Other species, not as yet definitely 

 identified, have lately been found on different host plants in 

 the islands. The identification of some of these with species 

 already recorded might lead to interesting and important 

 results with regard to the infection of healthy cultivated 

 plants, such as cacao or limes, from diseased plants, or from 

 decaying stumps in the forest; it would probably also 

 provide information on the question of the infection of one 

 kind of crop from another of a different kind, when the two 



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crops are growing in close pro.ximity. 



