212 SUMMARY OF CUKRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



fertilis or a neighbouring species, and from it diverge two lines of 

 descent. From the first main line, which ends with Endomyces Mag- 

 nusii, there arises a branch which conducts to Srhizo sac char otnyces. 

 From tlie second line leading to Endomycea FibuUger and to E. capsular is 

 arises the branch which leads to Zygosaccharomyces and on to the genus 

 Saccharomyces . 



Contribution to the Knov/ledge of the Lolium Fungus.* — 



J. Fuchs sterilized the seeds of LoJhmi and then cut them open and 

 obtained cultures of three fungi on gelatin, two species of Fleospora, 

 evidently from the scales of the seed, and a Fusarium species. The 

 latter, Fuchs considers, is the fungus that inhabits symbiotically the 

 seeds of Lolium. 



Fuchs also attempted to infect other embryos from the Lolium seed. 

 Embryos of Avena were introduced into the endosperm of the Lolium, 

 and a few out of the many attempted developed into healthy plants, 

 proving that the fungus had not passed over into these plants. If 

 there was no growth of the embryo it was noted that a Fusarium 

 fungus had developed. 



Infection of healthy plants was undertaken and successfully carried 

 out, the seedlings were inoculated, and examination of the tissue after 

 three or four weeks showed that the fungus had entered. 



Paint-destroying Fungus.f — Gr. Massee has described a red-coloured 

 fungus that grows on and destroys fresh paint, to the annoyance and 

 loss of painters. It appears as red suborbicular spreading patches 

 formed of the brightly coloured mycelium. Later numerous minute 

 pycnidia of a purplish black colour appear, either scattered or crowded. 

 They belong to the genus Phoma ; the spores are minute, 4-6 jx long 

 and 2-2 ■ 5 fx thick. 



Heterosporium variabile.J — Howard S. Reed and J. S. Codley have 

 studied this fungus, which causes a leaf disease of Spinacea oUracea. 

 The spinach on which it was found grew in open fields in Virginia 

 during the winter months. Other fungi were detected on the leaves, 

 which did not themselves do much harm, buo somewhat prepared the 

 way for the Heterosporium, as the latter is a weak parasite. Feronospora 

 effiisa was found in abundance, but caused no great damage. 



The mycelium of Heterosporium grew within the cells, chiefly in the 

 parietal layer of the protoplasm. Conidiophores emerged in sori from 

 the host-plant and produced spiny pluricellular spores ; these after 

 culture formed smooth spores. The fungus grows poorly as a sapro- 

 phyte at first, but in course of time, during which it undergoes changes 

 of form and habit, it grows luxuriantly. It develops a capacity for 

 budding, due evidently to the saprophytic habit of life. 



Rust-resistant Gereals.§— J. B. Pole-Evans states that races of 

 cereals that are resistant in other countries lose that quality in S. Africa. 



■* Hedwigia, li. (1911) pp. 221-39. 

 t Roy. Bot. Gard. Kow Bull. (1911) pp. 325-6 (1 pi.), 

 t Ceutralbl. Bakt., xxxii. (1911) pp. 40-58 (9 figs.). 

 § Journ. Agric. Soc, iv. (1911) pp. 95-194. 



