LASIODIPLODIA. 451 



Botryodiplodia elasticce Fetch. From the nature of its occur- 

 rence, and the full description given by Brick, there is no 

 doubt that the fungus is Botryodi'plodia elasticce, and as he is 

 presumably acquainted with Lasiodiplodia nigra, his conclusion 

 as to the identity of these two must be accepted. The Ham- 

 burg specimens differ from those recorded from Ceylon in their 

 larger stromata, up to 5 mm. in diameter, embedded in a loose 

 weft of hyphse, whereas the compact stromata in Ceylon are 

 glabrous. But tliis difference is just what might be expected 

 if the stron^ata developed in a constantly damp situation. 



A re- examination of the type specimen of Chcetodiplodia 

 grisea Fetch, in the hght of the experience gained during the 

 last four years, has convinced me that this is merely Botryodi- 

 plodia theobromce, with scattered pycnidia, clothed with hairs 

 as a consequence of its development in a saturated atmosphere. 

 Similarly, A. E. van Hall (18) has arrived at the conclusion 

 that the Chcetodiplodia sp. recorded on cacao pods in Surinam 

 is only Diplodia cacaoicola, i.e., Botryodiplodia theobromce. 



As a result of these re-investigations, we must accept the 

 following synonymy : — 



Botryodiplodia theobromce Fat. (1892). 



= Macrophoma vestita^ FriU. & Del. (1894) 



= Diplodia cacaoicola Henn. (1895) 



= Lasiodiplodia nigra Ai^T^el etJjSkuh. (1906) 



= Botryodiplodia elasticce Fetch. (1906) 



= Chcetodiplodia grisea Fetch. (1906) 



= Lasiodiplodia s'p. Ghsbrles. (1906) 



= Chcetodiplodia sp. Van Hall & Drost. (1908) 



It is scarcely necessary to point out the important bearing 

 which this confusion has upon practical mycology in the 

 tropics. We have been compelled to believe that our cacao 

 diseases were more numerous than those of any other plant 

 cultivated in the tropics, and that each cacao-growing country 

 had its own peculiar parasitic Diplodia. The diseases of cacao 

 have recently been monographed by F. C. von Faber (16) : 

 in this work nine pages are devoted to the discussion of these 

 Diplodias and their treatment, under the belief that they 

 are all different. Owing to the erroneous descriptions and 



