ASYMMETRICA-DIVARICATA 283 



8 to 10m by 2.0ju, producing long, parallel, or slightly divergent chains of conidia; 

 conidia elliptical or fusiform, 3.5 to4.0A( by 2.0 to 3.0m, green, granular within, smooth, 

 swelling in germination to 6.0m and producing from one to several germ tubes. 



Sent by Prof. P. H. Rolfs from INIiami, Florida, upon a portion of pine- 

 apple, IMarch 1905. 



Our notes follow: 



Colonies on Czapek's solution agar in the current study differ from the 

 above in producing comparatively few conidial structures upon a loose 

 flocculent mj'celial felt, in producing cream to light drab color in reverse, 

 and in its failure to produce sclerotia. Penicilli are irregular in pattern 

 and conform fairly closely with the original description; conidia are 

 strongly elliptical and smooth-walled as described. 



Colonies on steep agar are similar to the above but are heavier sporing 

 and likewise fail to develop sclerotia. 



Colonies on malt agar differ from the above in producing fairly abundant 

 conidial structures in a laj^er near the substratum which becomes over- 

 grown and largely obscured by a white flocculent overgrowth. 



The above notes refer to the type strain, Thom's No. 32, received 

 originally from Prof. Rolfs. It is now maintained in our Collection as 

 NRRL 1078. 



Some question exists as to the correct placement of this species. In his 

 Monograph, Thorn (1930) assigned this species to a miscellaneous series 

 at the end of the Biverticillata-SjTnmetrica. This placement was based 

 upon the irregularity of its conidial structures, plus a general lack of 

 diagnostic features to place it in any well-recognized section of the genus. 



Upon the basis of cultural characteristics, and the pattern structure of 

 its penicilli and sterigmatic cells, the species is believed to be more properly 

 assignable to the Divaricata than to any other section. The reported 

 presence of white to pink sclerotia 150 to 200/x in diameter in the type, as 

 originally described, further indicates relationship to the PeniciUium 

 raistrickii series as it is understood by us — hence, the present assignment. 



No additional strains clearly representing this species have been en- 

 countered b}^ us. 



Occurrence and Significance 



Penicilliwn raistrickii and allied species are encountered occasionally as 

 isolates from soil or from soil contaminated materials, but nowhere seem 

 to be abundant. Smith (1933) isolated P. raistrickii from moldy cotton 

 yarn and attributed some damage as probably due to its presence. No 

 biochemical or phj^siological studies are known to have been reported for 

 members of the series. 



