448 FETCH : 



viz., Botnjodiplodia elasticce and CJicetodiplodia grisea. 

 Botri/odiplodia elasticce was found on Hevea hrasiliensis and 

 Castiltoa elastica, and has since been discovered on Ficus, 

 Thea, Alhizzia, Erythrina, Garica papaya, and Cocos nucijera. 

 In the case of Hevea, it was first found parasitic on young 

 plants (" stumps ") shortly after they had been planted out 

 in the field. It burst through the cortex in hnear or rounded 

 masses up to 2 mm. diameter : these were largest when they 

 emerged at the point of exit of the lateral roots. These masses 

 were true stromata, and were glabrous. Higher up on the 

 same stems, the pycnidia occurred singly or in groups, 

 embedded in the bark. The pycnidia were 0-25-0 '4 mm. 

 in diameter, with spores 25-30 X 14-15 \^, and abundant 

 paraphyses up to 80 ^. long. The hyphse of the fungus are 

 at first hyaline, then violet black, but become brownish when 

 old or when preserved in alcohol. The course of the hyphse 

 in fresh specimens is easily recognized by the long blackish 

 streaks extending through the stem of the host. On young 

 Castilloa which had been damaged by fire, the soft decaying 

 bark was filled with masses of hyphse which also ran, more or 

 less free, over the surface of the wounds. In this case, the 

 pycnidia were surrounded by loose hyphse, and there was no 

 solid stroma. The fungus has since been found to be an almost 

 universal saprophyte on dead Hevea stems, but if the stems 

 are not too damp, e.g., when they have been Ijdng in the 

 laboratory for a fortnight, the pycnidia remain embedded in 

 the bark, and there is no outward indication of their presence 

 until the stem is covered with the extruded spores. In these 

 cases the pycnidia may be united by a basal weft of hyphse. 

 In the soft, watery stems of Carica papaya, the loose weft of 

 hyphse is usually weU developed, as in the case of Castilloa 

 referred to above. 



Appel and Laubert's description of Lasiodiplodia nigra was 

 not available when the description of Botryodiplodia elasticce 

 was pubhshed, and even if it had been, it is doubtful whether, 

 from the description, the Ceylon species would have been 

 considered identical. Hennings' description of Diplodia 

 cacaoicola does not mention the parapliyses (the most striking 

 feature of the fungus) , and Howaid states that the spores of that 



