67 



-,\X IX(RK.\SIN<; PkAK DlSKASK IN INDIANA. 1)V LlCIKN M. rxnKRWOOD. 



[Abstract.] 

 Septon'a piricolu Desiii., was tir.st collected in the statf \>y I>r. .1. ( . Artliiir, in 

 Tippecanoe Connty. in September, 1892. It vvasi collected Ky the writer in I'lit- 

 tiani County in <)(t<>l>er nt tlic same year, Sinci- tiiat lime its ravages arc on tlie 

 increase, and it lias heen seen in a number ol pear orchards in central Indiana. 

 The. disease appears early in the summer and continues as long as the leaves re- 

 main on the trees. It manifests itself in the form of a series of brownish spots on the 

 leaf where the chlorophyll-bearing tissue is destroyed by tiie fungus. On many 

 leaves examined from one-tifth to one-half of the leaf was diseased. The effect was 

 seen in the utter failure of the trt'e to produce fi'uit. In many cases it would be 

 dithcult to find a single leaf on a tree that was unaffected. It is evidently a good 

 opportunity to introduce spraying with the usual Bonleaux mixture. 



Vai,ui: ok Sekd C'iiarac tkr?; ix Determixin*; Specific Rank. 



The purjiose ol this study was to see if suHicietit differences existed in the 

 seeds of plants to enable us to determine specitic rank. The plants taken for 

 this work were those of the family Planfaginaai', including the ordinary plantain. 

 The seeds were examined as to color, shape, size, and character of surface. The 

 -seed coats were also studied to see if histological differences of classifieatory value 

 existed, while incidentally any striking features in cell contents or peculiarities 

 in response to the action of various reagents were noted. 



The seeds were first studied as to external characters, and it was found that ac- 

 ■cording to color and surface they could be separated into three groups : P. major, 

 ■flecipiens and eriopoda being black ; P. maritima, Pataf/onica, pusilla and cordata, 

 brown, and Viryiiiica yellow. By outline of cross section it was found that they 

 •i-ould be separated into four grouf)s. By the combination of these two groupings 

 we tind that each species has at least one characteristic that is not found in any of 

 tlie others. Virr/inifd and Pat'if/oitica reseudjle in cross section, l)ut differ in color; 

 v/K(/o/-- is. easily distinguisheil by outlines; pusilln is different from all others in 

 <Toss section ; major and eordafa resemble in cross section, but are distinguished by 

 ■folor :ind surface ; decipiens and eriopoda arc similar in cross section and color, but 

 diOer in the position of the hilum. 



The seed coats are somewhat diverse in structure, showing live general types, 

 but after coMiparlng the results in all cases it is apparent that the species ex- 

 amined do not show sufficient differences to enable us, in all cases, to distinguish 

 -A'me from another. F<u" while the seed coat of one species may be unlike all 



