MONOVERTICILLATA 251 



in age, reverse in vinaceous siiades to sorghum or TTay's brown (R., PI. 

 XXXIX); penicilli as described above. 



Colonies on malt spreading as on steep agar, loose-textured, appearing 

 almost floccose, not furrowed, light sporing with conidial heads colored 

 as above; reverse in golden brown shades; conidial structures as described 

 above but with conidiophores often finely roughened. 



Species description centered upon van Beyma's type received from the 

 Centraalbureau in July 1946, and since entered in our Collection as NRRL 

 2069. The type strain was isolated from sputum in 1932. Other cultures 

 i-epi-esentative of the species have not been reported although the original 

 isolate may have represented only a dust-borne inhalant. 



This species is placed in the ramigenous series upon the basis of its 

 penicilli. Close relationship to other members of the series is not claimed. 

 In contrast to other species assigned here, which are slow growing, this 

 species is characterized by its very rapidly and broadly spreading colonies. 

 In general texture and appearance, and in the manner in which the coni- 

 dial structures are borne, the species is strongly suggestive of PenicUlium 

 spinulosum Thom, and may represent only a variant form in which the 

 penicilli are usually branched. This possible relationship is further sug- 

 gested by the rough, echinulate character of its conidia, and by the de- 

 velopment of vinaceous to dull brownish purple shades in colony reverse. 



Occurrence and Significance 



Members of the Ramigena series regularly occur in soil, and may be 

 isolated also from a variety of organic substrates undergoing slow decom- 

 position in the field. They were encountered quite frequently among the 

 molds isolated from fabrics, optical instruments, and other items of mili- 

 tary equipment undergoing deterioration under service conditions in 

 tropical and subtropical areas. One species, PenicUlium capsulatum, 

 described as new by Raper and Fennell (1948), was repeatedly encountered 

 from this source, hence is believed to be widely distributed in the soils of 

 warmer areas. PenicUlium waksmani Zal. and P. charlesii Smith, were 

 likewise encountered among molds isolated from deteriorating materiel. 

 PenicUlium velutinum v. Beyma (1935), originally from sputum, probably 

 represented an air-borne saprophyte. 



PenicUlium waksmani was reported by Hubert (1938) to be capable of 

 growing in saturated solutions of CUSO4, and in 15 percent solutions of 

 ethyl alcohol. Formaldehyde at 0.2 percent, killed the spores. Otomo 

 (1935) found P. waksmani to be common on moldy soybean cakes. This 

 organism, together with a limited number of other species, mostly members 

 of the Aspergillus glaucus group, reduced the amount of fat, carbohydrates, 



