F. J. F. SHAW. 143 



In the first place, this basidioinycete has been associated with 

 the same sclerotia and hyphse for two successive years on three 

 different hosts, and moreover it agrees in every particular with that 

 described by Rolfs as attacking potatoes in America ; Rolfs identi- 

 fies it as Corticium vagum B. & C. The evidence which he gives for 

 regarding it as the fertile stage of Rhizoctonia is — 



(1) association of basidia and sclerotia on same host; 



(2) cultures obtained by germinating spores on agar had the 



typical characteristics of Rhizoctonia; 



(3) infection of sclerotia and Rhizoctonia hyphse on hving 



plants gave rise to the fruiting layer. 

 Rolf's description of the sclerotia and hyphse which are con- 

 nected with the Corticium stage agrees in all essentials with that 

 given above (cf. Rolfs" Bull. 91, PL I and PI. V with PI. V, Fig. 3 

 and Text Fig. V), and does not resemble the R. Solani Kiihn des- 

 cribed in the earlier portion of this niemoir. 



Further evidence of the organic connection between these scle- 

 rotia and hyphse and the basidiomycete is furnished by a paper 

 by Stevens and Hall (26) entitled ' ' Hypochnose of Pomaceous 

 Fruits."' These authors describe a fungus, attacking apple, pear 

 and quince, which has all the characteristics of Rhizoctonia. The 

 hyphse have the tyjiical Rhizoctonia appearance (Fig. 5, Stevens and 

 Hall), while the following description of the sclerotia would serve 

 equally well for those on ground nut or cow pea — 



' ' A section of the sclerotia reveals them as compactly woven 

 masses of swollen irregular hyphse. They are entirely devoid of 

 any special epidermal structure, false epidermis or rind, the peri- 

 pheral structure being identical with the interior." 



The account of the sporogenous stage agrees closely with that 

 of the basidionrycete on the ground nut. 



Stevens and Hall identify their fungus as Hypochnus ochroleti- 

 cus Noack, they do not make any mention of the similarity of the 

 hyphse and sclerotia to those of Rhizoctonia. A comparison of their 

 paper, however, with that of Rolfs, and with the present memoir 



