THE ASPERGILLUS TERREUS GROUP 197 



velvety (fig. 58 A) or in some strains showing tendency toward floccosity in 

 central colony areas, heavy sporing throughout with massed columnar heads 

 giving to colonies their characteristic color and texture, in color ranging 

 through various cinnamon shades (Ridgway, PI. XXIX) depending upon 

 the abundance and maturity of the heads (PI. V E), amber exudate produced 

 in some strains, odor transient to none, reverse in dull yellow to brown 

 shades. Conidial heads long columnar (fig. 56 A), with conidial chains 

 compacted together, of uniform diameter throughout entire length, com- 

 monly ranging from 150 to 500m or more in length by 30 to 50m at maturity, 

 ranging from cinnamon-buff through cinnamon to Sayal brown (Ridgway, 

 PI. XXIX). Conidiophores more or less flexuous, smooth, colorless, com- 

 monly ranging from 100 to 250m by 4.5 to 6.0m, approximately uniform in 

 width throughout (fig. 57 A and 19 A). Vesicles hemispherical, dome-like, 

 commonly 10 to 16m in diameter, merging almost imperceptibly into the 

 supporting conidiophore. Sterigmata in two series, primaries crowded 

 (fig. 57 A), parallel, 5.0 to 7.0m by 2.0 to 2.5m, secondaries closely packed 

 5.5 to 7.5m by 1.5 to 2.0m- Conidia globose to slightly elliptical, commonly 

 1.8 to 2.4m in diameter. 



Species description based upon type strain NRRL No. 255 (Thorn No. 

 144) and innumerable additional isolations from soils and other sources in 

 this country and abroad. The species is especially abundant in warm and 

 comparatively dry arable soils. 



The great majority of isolates belonging to this series fall within A. 

 terreus in its strictest sense, and duplicate in all essential particulars the 

 description given above for this species. Nevertheless, wide natural varia- 

 tion among strains is encountered when great numbers are isolated from 

 widely separated sources. Some of these are quite striking in appearance 

 and have apparently furnished the bases for species and varietal description 

 by other workers. 



Aspergillus terreus var. boedijni (Bloch.) n. var. 



Blcchwitz, in Ann. Mycol. 32(1/2): 83, 1934, described Aspergillus 

 boedijni as a new species differing from Aspergillus terreus primarily in the 

 color of its conidia. These were reported as pure yellow at first, becoming 

 pure brown or ochraceous-brown in age, and brighter than .4. galeritus 

 Blochwitz. 1 In our experience strains are occasionally encountered which 

 are characterized by a bright, orange-brown color instead of the dull cinna- 



1 A. galeritus Blochwitz (Ann. Mycol. 27(3/4) : 205, Taf. Ill, 1929) is a redescription 

 of A. terreus Thorn. Blochwitz acknowledged having Thorn's type at hand when 

 he renamed this species. No reason was given beyond the claim that he had had the 

 organism in culture for some years before Thorn's description oi' A. terreus was 

 published. 



