Orchid Mycorrhiza. J. Ramsbottom. 35 
he did not restrict his newly acquired activities to studying 
orchids, but the main part of his laboratory work dealt with 
them, and he was especially interested in the seed from its first 
formation and in the relations between fungus and seed in 
germination. The whole of the slides were generously placed 
at my disposal. We, however, drew up a scheme of collaboration 
and mapped out a series of investigations, which unfortunately 
had to be discontinued owing directly and indirectly to the war. 
When, in 1920, we were both again free to resume the work 
he was a sick man and beyond application to research. 
I should wish to repeat here for the benefit of those orchid 
lovers who knew so well one part of his accomplishments that 
the other part was equally good. The fact that he should com- 
mence laboratory work at such a late age is as surprising as is 
the success which he attained practically unaided. To a botanist 
trained in the schools many of his expressions appeared whim- 
sical, but when he termed the small cells at the distal end of an 
Odontoglossum seed the “soul of the plant,’’ it was as a result 
of finding that it was there eventually that both stem and root 
were laid down—and he had a happy knack of coining such 
expressions and, one may add, a certain persistency in using 
them. If his early days had been spent in acquiring a knowledge 
of academic botany rather than in connection with his father’s 
wool business, there can be no doubt that the name of Joseph 
Charlesworth would have been writ large in the annals of British 
science. As the firm of Messrs Charlesworth are carrying on the 
traditions of their late chief, it may be possible at some future 
date to complete and put on record certain of the investiga- 
tions; and it is hoped it may be possible to carry out the original 
plan in which his knowledge of orchid culture would have played 
an essential part. 
ORCHID FUNGUS. 
Bernard in his first attempts to isolate the fungus from orchid 
roots obtained a species of Fusariwm. When, however, he suc- 
ceeded in extracting the right fungus he established a criterion 
which enables one to settle without doubt whether the true 
fungus has been isolated, viz. that the endophyte is able to 
bring about the germination of the seed. 
The fungus, when living within the cells of the plant, shows 
no characters which give a clue to its systematic position, but 
when it is grown on nutrient media it shows additional stages 
of development which are characteristic. 
When extracted from the root and placed in a culture medium 
the fungus always appears to behave in the same way. The 
fungus spreads over the surface by the apical growth of its 
3—2 
