Feb. i6. 1920 * Basal Glumerot of Wheat 551 



SUMMARY 



A bacterial disease of wheat caused by a hitherto undescribed organism 

 has been found on heads of wheat collected in various and widely separated 

 localities in the United States and Canada. 



The most noticeable external character of the disease is the brown to 

 black discoloration on the lower part of the glumes and of the adjacent 

 rachis. The grains inclosed by the diseased glumes have bacteria in the 

 tissues at the germ end. In advanced cases this end of the grain is black 

 and charred in appearance. 



The discolored tissues swarm with bacteria. These have been isolated 

 not only from freshly collected material but also from grain kept in the 

 laboratory for 17 months. 



The parasite is a white, polar-fiagellated rod, producing a green 

 fluorescence in the ordinary culture media. 



The group number is 221.2322123. 



Bacterium atrojaciens , n. sp., is suggested as the name. 



