146 THE JOUKNAL OF INDIAN BOTANY. 



Howard, A., and Howard, G. L. C. The Spike disease of Peach 

 Trees. An example of unbalanced sap-circulation. Indian Forester, 

 Vol. XLV {1919) 611 . 



The paper describes the pathological condition -of the peach tree which 

 closely resembles the spike of sandalwood. Morphological differences 

 between normal and spiked plants are to be seen in the foliage, the stems, 

 and the roots. Interesting results were obtained by microscopic examination 

 of affected plants at all stages. The leaves show the presence of starch 

 greatly in excess of the< normal, twigs and branches contain " an enormous 

 accumulation of starch in the pith, in the medullary rays in the wood and 

 bast parenchyma and there is a sharp line of demarcation, as regards starch 

 deposition, at the junction of the stock and scion." The chemical composition 

 of the leaves show marked differences. The authors are of opinion that the 

 cause of the spiked condition is to be found in the junction between the stock 

 and the scion, the trouble, arising from the prolonged unbalanced sub- 

 circulation resulting from an imperfect junction of the stock and scion. 

 They think that " the problem would appear to be considerably clarified if 

 the sandal is looked upon as a root grafted on to its hosts, by means of the 

 haustoria and if the association is regarded as symbiotic rather than parasitic." 

 The fact of the transmission of disease by means of grafling and budding 

 would seem to receive a new proof by the hypothesis suggested by the 



authors. 



E. B. 



Fungi 



Reinking lOtto A. Phytopbthora Faberi Maubl : the cause 

 of Coconut bud-rot in the Philipines. Philipine Journal of Science 

 XIV 1919, pp. 130—150. 



The first authentic and reliable investigations into this disease in the 

 Phillipines were made in 1908, and it was reported to have been prevalent 

 and serious in one place for ten years previously. The diseased parts are 

 always found to be infected with bacteria, "especially B. Coli, but this is 

 considered as due only to secondary infection. Exactly similarly diseased 

 spots were produced by inoculating young coconut buds with Phytophora 

 faberi obtained from the black rot of Cacao pods. The two diseases are 

 therefore considered to be due to one and the same fungus. The same species 

 is also believed by the author on the evidence of infection-results to be the 

 cause of cancer of seedlings of Hevea rubber, of the rot of Papaya fruits. 

 The author points out the importance of this. No measurements or other 

 identification marks are given. 



Since it is difficult to imagine the fungus of the Coconut bud rot in the 

 Philipines to be different from that of India, the author's identification is 

 contrary to Butlers. But it must be remembered that the difference between 

 the genus Phptophthora and Pythium is very small— the latter has sexual 

 spores the former has not — and the more we learn about fungi the more we 

 find, how polymorphic they may be on different hosts. 



T- \ P. F. F. 



