26o 



RESEARCH IN PROTOZOOLOGY 



the near future will make use of the recently developed methods 

 of research for carefully characterizing the species of organisms 

 found, so that descriptions in the growing protozoological litera- 

 ture may be accurate and complete. 



Morphology and classification of latex protozoa. The protozoa 

 thus far discovered and carefully studied in latex plants have all 

 proved to be typical herpetomonads. A chapter could be written on 

 the other types of organisms reported from latex, but little evi- 

 dence has been presented to prove the real nature of these forms. 



Fig. 1 6. — Map showing the locations from which reports of latex flagellates 



have come. 



Bacteria, spirochsetes, amoeba, and trypanosomes are supposed 

 by some to be found occasionally in milky- juiced plants. A single 

 brief paper (Picado, C. R., Comptes rendus de la Societe de 

 Biologic, 84: 552, 1921) discusses the presence of a bacterial in- 

 fection in a latex plant. Spirochsetes have been reported as occur- 

 ring in latex plants (Laveran and Franchini, 1921), but more in- 

 tensive studies are needed of any cases in which they may be 

 found. Amoebae have also been reported (Franchini, G., Bulletin 

 de la Societe de Pathologie Exotique, 15:197-203, 1922), but 

 have not been fully described. Trypanosomes and trypanosome- 

 like organisms have been mentioned (Franchini, G., Bulletin de 

 la Societe de Pathologie Exotique, 15: 18-23, 1922). The normal 

 nuclei of the latex cells of the 'plants stream out with the latex 

 when young leaves or stems are broken. They have been taken 



