FUNGUS CAUSING R(X>T-DISEASE OF SUGAR-CANE. 205 



fungus of Lewton Brain under the name " stellate crystal fungus." 

 Cobb hence considered that the stellate crystal fungus was a 

 distinct and different fungus, in which view, however, Lyon 

 (iQCc;) did not agree, and he mentions that he had observed 

 fructifications of Marasmius saccliari connected with the mycelium 

 bearing the above-mentioned stellate crystals, and hence con- 

 cluded that these two are one and the same fungus, that is, the 

 stellate crystals belong to the Marasmius sac char i. Here the 

 matter stood until towards the end of 191 7, when Johnston* 

 definitely named the stellate crystal fungus Himantia stcllifera, 

 and gives the following description of it : — " Mycelium cobwebby, 

 or somewhat dendritic, white, ascending the lower leaf sheaths 

 and penetrating the roots. Hyphas with clamp connections and 

 bearing on short side branches stellate crystals of calcium oxalate. 

 No fruiting bodies known." This description evidently embraces 

 the fungus previously mentioned by Lewton Brain and Cobb. 



The present writer agrees with Cobb and Johnston that 

 the *' stellate crystal fungus " is distinct from Marasmius saccliari, 

 and he now definitely refers the fungus responsible for root 

 disease in cane in Natal and Zululand to Johnston's Himantia 

 stellifera, " the stellate crystal fungus." In doing this he in no 

 way overlooks the presence of other root fungi, such as Phalloids 

 before mentioned, but regards the former as more widespread 

 and of greater economic importance. 



Of this fungus Cobb, waiting from Hawaii, says : " It is 

 the most common, and in all probability the most destructive of 

 the fungi causing root-disease in cane in Hawaii." 



J. A. Stevenson, Esq., formerly of Porto Rico, in a personal 

 letter to the present writer, says: "I note you find Himantia 

 stellifera, which in Porto Rico is the most common fungus on 

 the roots and base of cane stools. I have been of opinion for 

 some time that it does more harm than Marasmius or any of 

 the other fungi present on or about the roots of cane." 



In growing the fungus on artificial media we noticed that 

 though th^ lateral outgrowth, swollen at their apices, developed 

 from the hyphae, no crystals formed on them. These crystals 

 again developed when tl;e fungus was grown on sterilised sugar- 

 cane stalks or leaves. In the original description of Marasmius 

 sacchari, Wakker makes no reference to these crystals, and 

 neither does Howard, who also obtained this fungus in pure 

 culture and induced it to fruit. 



We also, in our observations, noted that clamp connections, 

 though present in the hyphse, occur sparsely, and have to be 

 well searched for. This point was also noted by Lewton Brain 

 for his fungus with stellate crystals. 



The present distribution of Himantia stellifera is as 

 follows : Hawaii, Porto Rico, Jamaica, Natal, and Zululand. In 



* Johnston's views were not known to the present writer when the 

 publication before mentioned was prepared. 



