JEHANGIR FARDUXJI DASTUR 



219 



The hyphse in the epidermal cells of the fruit form a stroma-like body 

 which completely destroys the host cells (Figs. 1 — 3). \Yhen young this is 

 composed of a single layer of pallisade cells with one or two rows of small 

 basal cells. These cells enlarge and press against the cuticle pushing 

 it out and ultimately rupturing it. The apical cells grow considerably in 

 size, generally more breadthwise than lengthwise, thus losing their pallisade 

 shape (Figs. 4 and 8) ; at the same time they also become sometimes 

 lobed (Fig. 7). This stromatoid body has always been found to consist of 

 loose cells. This is very clearly seen in tangential sections (Fig. 3). All the 

 cells remain hyaline and are filled with finely granular protoplasm. From 

 the top of the apical cells arise sporangiophores, usually one from each cell 

 but, at times, as many as three (Figs. 2 and 4 — 8). The tissues of the fruit in 

 the neighbourhood of the stroma-like body become discoloured and the cells 

 are filled with some brown substance. 



I'lg. 1. A young stromatoid structure as seen in a transverse section of the 



diseased fruit. 480. 

 Fig. 2. A mature structure bearing sporangia. x215. 

 Fig. 3. A tangential section showing the loose cells forming the stroma-like 



body. x4S0. 

 Figs, 4-8 Cells of the stromatoid body, x480. 



