286 A MANUAL OF THE ASPERGILLI 



in soils and have been isolated from samples collected in many parts of the 

 world. Within the group, strains approximating the species A. ochraceus 

 are by far the most abundant, although heavy sclerotium-producing strains 

 approximating A. quercinus are not infrequently encountered. They are a 

 common component of the microflora of decaying vegetation, but there is 

 little evidence that they play a very active role in processes of decomposi- 

 tion. 



Huber (1933) found a member of the group, A. sclerotiorum, capable of 

 rotting apples and pears. Members of the group are commonly found in 

 musty or moldy cereal grains, but are not as characteristic of this sub- 

 stratum as is Aspergillus candidus and members of the A. glaucus group. 

 In at least one instance A. ochraceus was reported as a human pathogen 

 (Ceni, 1905). 



In the Orient, A. ochraceus and allied species constitute a portion of the 

 mold flora characteristically found on "Katsuobushi" and other fermented 

 preparations made from fish (Yukawa, 191 1). Aspergillus melleus Yukawa 

 was isolated from such material. Because of the mixture of forms present, 

 including members of the A. glaucus and A . flavus-oryzae groups, it is prob- 

 ably incorrect to say that any particular species or group of species is 

 responsible for this fermentation. (See also Hanzawa, 1911). 



A. ochraceus has been used to bring about desired changes in the flavor 

 of coffee, and its use is covered by U. S. Patent No. 1,313,209. Samples 

 of the fermenting coffee showed the organism used to be a strain of A. 

 ochraceus indistinguishable from Wilhelm's species. Whereas A. niger, 

 A . tamarii, and A . flavus were also capable of developing in the fermenting 

 coffee, A. ochraceus alone of the species tried gave a satisfactory flavor. 



As a whole, the A. ochraceus group constitutes a very abundant, but little 

 studied, group of molds. Whether the scarcity of published reports re- 

 garding biochemical activities indicates an absence of such, or whether it 

 merely reflects a limited amount of investigation, can at present only be 

 guessed. 



