4 Fig " Canker" caused by Phoma cinerescens Sacc. 



fusoideis, biguttulatis, 6-8 x 2-2-5, hyalinis. Hab. in ramis corticatis v. 

 demum decorticatis Fid Caricae, in Italia et Gallia. Spermogonium 

 Diaporthes cinerescentis Sacc." 



To make certain of its specific identification, an example was sent 

 to Prof. P. A, Saccardo, who replied, "J'ai examine votre specimen. 

 C'est sans doute raon Phomopsis cinerescens. Ma diagnose est incom- 

 plete, car les sporophora (comnie il se fait tres-souvent) etaient deja 

 disparus ; aussi les guUulae dans votre specimen sont pen distinctes, 

 mais cela est aussi variable." The author who transferred the present 

 fungus from Phoma to Phomopsis was J. B. Traverso (in his Flora 

 Italica cryptogama, vol. ii, fasc. i, p. 278 (1906)), who after giving a 

 description of Diaporthe cinerescens Sacc. merely remarks: "Status 

 pycnidicus verisimiliter Phomopsis cinerescens (Sacc.) Trav. sporulis 

 fusoideis, hyalinis, biguttulatis, 8 x 2." In general appearance and 

 structure the present fungus agrees so well with other parasitic species 

 which are still named Phoma that we retain it in that genus. 



In searching for records of the occurrence of a Fig-tree "canker" in 

 England, we met with the description given by Mr Massee first in the 

 Gardeners' Magazine, for July 23 (1898), and later in his Text-Book 

 of Plant Diseases, p. 431 (1903). In the former place Mr Massee wrote : 

 "A disease presumably of old standing has of late years proved very 

 injurious to fig-trees, and one remarkable feature in connection with 

 this disease is the fact that it is most prevalent and destructive in those 

 cases where the trees have received the greatest amount of attention, 

 pruning more especially favouring its extension. The most usual 

 symptoms of its presence are a cankered or ulcerated appearance of 

 the bark, which frequently becomes eaten away in large patches, or 

 variously cracked. In the majoiity of cases it is very evident that 

 the canker first starts at a point where a branch has been cut away 

 or accidentally broken off, and in all instances it appears that a broken 

 surface of the bark is absolutely necessary to enable the fungus causing 

 the disease to gain a foothold." While the general description of the 

 disease given here agrees exactly with what we have found, the descrip- 

 tion of the fungus which Mr Massee gives as the causal organism is 

 quite different from that of Phoma cinerescens. Mr Massee places his 

 fungus in the Melanconiaceae ("perithecia absent; conidia produced 

 on a more or less developed cushion or stroma formed beneath the 

 surface of the matrix, and becoming erumpent") as a new species of 

 the genus Libertella, viz. L. ^dcerata Mass. In the Gardeners' Magazine, 

 I.e., it is stated: "Finally the fruit of the fungus, which is formed in 



