ASYMMETRICA-FUNICULOSA 449 



mostly less than SO^t in length, or from the substratum and up to 200 to 

 250/x in length; penicilli as>Tnmetric, commonly 25 to 30^ in length, occa- 

 sionally (30^, usually consisting of a main axis with or without one or more 

 appressed branches, sometimes monoverticillate; conidial chains tangled, 

 rarely exceeding 75/u in length; metulae irregularl}^ produced, commonly in 

 groups of 2 or 3, often at different levels, measuring 8 to 12/x by 2.2 to 3.3m, 

 occasionally up to 15^i in length; sterigmata 8 to 10^ by 2.5 to 3.0/x, closely 

 packed, few in the verticil, often arising at different levels; conidia globose 

 to subglobose, 3.5 to 5.5/^ in diameter, variable in the same mount, with 

 walls smooth or irregularly and finely roughened, yellow-green in mass. 



Colonies on steep agar growing as described above but more closely 

 wrinkled and much heavier sporing (fig. 1 17B), in color ranging from bright 

 yellow-green shades (see above) in young sporulating areas through dull 

 yellow-green to brownish olive in age ; limited clear exudate produced ; odor 

 strong, "earthy", suggesting actinomycetes; penicilli more consistently 

 asymmetric and larger but otherwise as on Czapek. 



Colonies on malt extract agar 5.0 to 5.5 cm. in 12 days, comparatively 

 thin, appearing velvety but with surface showing trailing hyphae or thin 

 ropes of hyphae, heavily sporing, in bright yellow-green shades such as 

 malachite and fluorite green (R., PI. XXXII) with these colors persisting 

 in age; no exudate produced; odor strong (see above); penicilli 'more abun- 

 dantly produced, essentially duplicating those on steep agar but with 

 conidiophores more conspicuously roughened. 



Species description based primarily upon the type culture, NRRL 932 

 (Thom's No. 4733.12), received from Biourge as Penicillium aureum Corda, 

 and approximated by strains occasionally isolated from soil. The two 

 cultures received from the Centraalbureau as P. psittacinum Thom ade- 

 quately represent the species although one of these now produces colonies 

 that are predominantly sterile. 



The correct placement of Penicillium psittacinum remains somewhat in 

 doubt. In the type strain, the funiculose habit is usually evident and, 

 for this reason, the species is assigned here. Thom (1930) noted that this 

 culture, in deeper areas, commonly appeared fasciculate. In its basic 

 coloration, NRRL 932 bears a striking resemblance to certain members of 

 the P. viridicatum group, which are definitely fasciculate. The color 

 changes for this strain on steep agar may likewise be significant, with 

 colonies changing from bright yellow-green to brownish olive shades. In 

 this latter character, it is suggestive not only of the P. viridicatum series 

 but of some strains normally assigned to P. ochraceum as well. There is 

 considerable evidence supporting the belief that P. psittacinum, P. ochra- 

 ceum and the P. viridicatum series all belong to a single but extremely 

 variable group in which color changes from yellow-greens to olive-browns 

 represent a fundamental characteristic. 



