KULKARNI. 271 



infection occurs at the seedling stage ; while in the 2nd form of 

 jowar attack, where it appears all of a sudden when the plant is half- 

 grown, it recalls the mode of attack which occurs in some smuts, 

 where the mycelium is in the grain, grows up in the young plant 

 and appears in the head. In the third case of jowar attack the 

 infection seems to be secondary, as it seems to spread from plant to 

 plant. 



Dr. Butler found the sporangial and oogonial forms of the 

 disease on bajri but only the oogonial on jowar. The ripe fruits 

 (oogonial forms) on bajri, and jowar do not differ much in size, 

 shape and colour. According to his measurements the diameter 

 of the oogonium on bajri is 42// (average of 25 measurements), 

 and that on jowar is 41//, and on this basis he puts both the forms 

 on jowar and bajri into one species. He says : — " In all systematic 

 works which treat of Sclerospora, the characters of the ripe fruit 

 are taken as the basis for classification, and on this basis it is im- 

 possible to separate the species " (on jowar) " from Scl. grayninicola." 



Although the oogonial forms do not differ, much difference is 

 found in the conidial forms. There is not a great difference between 

 the conidiophores as to their size, length, etc. In both I found as 

 Dr. Butler described—'" broad, rather short stalks, unbranched in 

 the lower part, but usually with a few short thick branches dichoto- 

 mously or trichotomously formed at the top, and crowned with numer- 

 ous papillae of characteristic shape, on which sporangia are 

 borne." But these papillae of the two show a remarkable difference 

 in their length, the bajri ones being shorter than those of jowar. The 

 maximum length of the bajri papillae (measurement of 20) was 8*3//, 

 and that of jowar ones 16' 3//. The sporangia do not differ much 

 in limits of size. The bajri sporangia vary from 19 to 31 by 16 to 21// 

 in diameter, and the jowar sporangia from 18 to 32 by 16 to 23// in 

 diameter. But the chief and constant difference is with regard to 

 the shape of the conidia and the way they germinate. The bajri 

 sporangia are broadly elliptical, — slightly pointed at the free end and 

 germinate by liberating zoospores. The jowar sporangia are sub- 

 orbicular, with no papilla at the free end and germinate like conidia 



