MONILIALES B9S 



give rise first to a secondary branch. In Penicillium the erect 

 conidiophore becomes digitately branched, the branches tending 

 to be parallel to the main axis and to attain equal heights. Chains 

 of conidia are borne from the apices of these ultimate branches. 



Aspergillus and Penicillium are of enormous importance. Peni- 

 cillhnn glaiicinn causes decay of apples and pears in storage; P. 

 italicuni and P. digitatiim produce decay of citrus fruits. Asper- 

 gillus niger is used industrially in the production of certain or- 

 ganic acids, such as citric, gallic, and gluconic. Aspergillus 

 oryzae is employed in the preparation of Taka-diastase. Asper- 

 gillus -fumigatus causes otomycosis, pulmonary disorders, es- 

 pecially among workers who poHsh metals or handle furs and 

 feathers, and pneumonic symptoms in grouse, quail, canaries, 

 and other kinds of birds. Fenicilliiim roqueforti and P. camem- 

 berti impart desirable flavors and odors to cheese. Members of 

 both genera are involved in the production of mold on shoes, 

 gloves, and other leather products, the spoilage of bread, pre- 

 serves, and jeUies, and the mildewing of clothing, awnings, tents, 

 and other articles made of cloth. 



The monographic treatises on Aspergillus by Thom and 

 Church (1926) and on Penicillium by Thom (1930) are in- 

 valuable in any study involving these genera. 



Botrytis contains numerous species and is another of the fre- 

 quently encountered genera. The genus is characterized by 

 much-branched conidiophores that bear clusters of spherical or 

 ellipsoidal conidia, the entire structure having the aspect of a 

 bunch of grapes. Members of the B. cinerea group cause the de- 

 cay of many kinds of bulbs, fruits, and vegetables. They also 

 parasitize young plants and blight the buds and flowers of many 

 cultivated ornamental species. Some species of Botrytis have 

 been genetically connected A\'ith Sclerotinia. Some hibernate by 

 means of sclerotia. 



Ramularia and Cercosporella, containing many leaf-spot-pro- 

 ducing fungi, are quite alike, as is indicated by the fact that both 

 generic names have been frequently used for one and the same 

 species. As the genera are at present delimited, there are two 

 distinct t\^pes of fructifications. In one the short conidiophores 

 emerge in fascicles from the stomata and produce the septate 

 conidia acrogenously. Mature conidiophores have several scars 

 near their tips, the scars marking the sites of attachment of 



