GENUS: PHYTOMONAS 



389 



guished by their method of division. In the case of the former, it is 

 claimed that the kinetoplast, rhizoplast, and entire flagellum divide; 

 while in the latter, a new axoneme grows out from the daughter blepharo- 

 plast to form a new rhizoplast and flagellum. Nieschulz (1924(f) appar- 

 ently interprets Franga as making the claim that in flagellates of the 

 genus Leptomonas no rhizoplast is present, though this structure is clearly 

 shown in Franga's figures. Having found that in the cultural forms of the 

 flagellate of Euphorbia cereiformis a rhizoplast occurs, he gives it the new 

 name Herpetomonas euphorbice, as Franga groups the Euphorbia flagellates 

 studied by him in the genus Leptomonas. Actually, there is no difference 

 between the flagellate studied by Nieschulz and those studied by Franga. 



Laveran and Franchini (1920a) have discovered leptomonas in a number of 

 Euphorbias in Italy as follows: (Bologna) E. peplus, E. diilcis, E. falcata, E. nerei- 

 folia, E. virosa ; (Florence) E. humifusca ; (Ferrara) E. peplus ; (Syracuse) E. peplus ; 

 (Catania) E. grandis. In two of these, only rounded non-flagellate forms were found, 

 and they think it possible a distinct species is represented. Euphorbias in Pans 

 were not found infected, but an attempt was made to inoculate plants {E. snuliana 

 and E. pilosn) with cultures of Leptomonas ctenocephali of fleas. As long as two 

 months after, the inoculated twigs were not growing so well as the control ones, 

 while smears from the latex showed typical flagellates. The examination of the 

 controls was entirely negative. In the same paper, these observers claim to have 

 produced a mild infection in mice by inoculating them with the flagellate of the 

 Euphorbias. Franchini (1921b, 1922c') stated that he had found four members 

 of the family Apocynaceae (Acolcanthera spectabilis, A. venenata, Funiumia elastica, 

 and Thevetia nereifolia) infected, and that in Euphorbia nereifolia and E. ccerulescens 

 he had found flagellates which had the trypanosome arrangement of the kinetoplast 

 and nucleus. These had a length up to 12 microns. The undulating membrane, 

 when visible, was poorly developed. Eounded forms also occurred, and these 

 appeared to be produced by the flagellate first becoming looped and the space 

 between the limbs gradually filling up with cytoplasm. Franchini has given the 

 name Trypanosoma euplwrbiw to this flagellate. Even if his statement is to be 

 relied upon, it has yet to be demonstrated that he was not dealing with a hitherto 

 undetected form of development of Phytomonas davidi. 



The same observer (1922/) described a flagellate infection of cabbages, which 

 were infested with various species of pentatomid bugs (Pentatomaornatum, P. ornatum 

 var. pedorale, P. oleraceum). These bugs commonly have an intestinal crithidia 

 infection, and it is claimed that the flagellates sometimes invade the salivary glands. 



