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TIIIO PARASITIC I' U\(JI OF MOX'iXJOMERY COUNTY. I. 

 H. W. AND p. J. Andkkson. 



Ten years ago the writers became interested in fungi and began collect- 

 ing and preserving the parasitic forms which tlirive on the rich native and 

 cultivated flora of Montgomery county. No season during that decade has 

 failed to add materially to the number of species collected. College years 

 at Wabash, summers on the farm near Ladoga, vacation excursions to The 

 Shades, Pine Hills and other country stations have been made more inter- 

 esting and prolitable in the hunt for previously uncollected fungi. Even 

 aflcr both of the writers took ui) their work in other stales, at least one 

 month of each year has been si)t>nt in Montgomery County, and many col- 

 lecting trips have added to the growing number of siKJcies. The abundance 

 (if fungi varies greatly from year to year but hardly a flowering plant can 

 be found which is not jiarasitized at some time by at least one fungus and 

 frequently by many of them. To be sure, many of these fungi have been 

 previously reported from the county, many more from other counties of the 

 state, others only from other states, but a considerable number have not 

 been reported before from North Am(>rica and oven a few seem to be 

 species new to science. 



Non-parasitic forms have also been colled ed and [(reserved and it was 

 the original intention to include all in this list. Since, however, the study 

 and determination of the saprophytes has been much more limited, they 

 have been reserved for a future presentation after more collecting and 

 study. In order that this paijer may be more useful to students of fungi 

 it has been thought best to include not only all our own collections, but 

 also those of all others who have collected or reported fungi from the 

 county. 



The paper is presented with a threefold object: (1) as a contribution 

 to the biological survey of the state, a worthy enterprise, started over 

 twenty-five years ago but the cryptogamic part of which has made little 

 progress during the last two decades; (2) as a help to plant pathologists 

 in determining the range and prevalence of pathogenes; (3) as a reference 

 and finding list for local students of fungi, amateurs and professionals, who 

 will find determination of newly found species much facilitated by the 

 use of the appended host index. This list, however, undoubtedly does not 

 incluile all the parasites of the county. A summer day spent in the woods 

 or along the low baid<s of the streams still yields the excitement of finding 

 many a new one and will continue to do so for years to come. Nor have 

 the collecting iMissibilities of the orchard, garden and fiower bed been by 

 any means exhausti'd. The list <if si»ecies on i)lants of economic importance 

 will seem meager to the experienced iil.nit ii.itholo^ist : for example only 

 one parasite is reported on potato. This is due to tlic lad that less atten- 

 tion was paid to the common economic funui than to the rarer parasites on 

 wild plants. It is hoped that otlier students will tiiid the pur.suit as allur- 

 ing as the writers have and will continue to add to this list and increase 

 its usefulness. 



