Observations on the "Slime-fluxes" of trees. 



169 



2. 



Red Variety. 



(a) General. 

 This flux is rather conspicuous on account of its bright apricot- 

 red colour. It occurs very commonly around Cambridge on 

 young Huntingdon elms {Ulmus vegeta Schneider), but speci- 

 mens somewhat resembhng this type (and also characterised by 

 the presence of a red colour) have been found on Ulmus cam- 

 pestris L. and on the \\'ych elm {Ulmus glabra Hudson = Ulmus 

 montana Stokes) in the north of Scotland. It has also been found 

 on horse-chestnuts, and once on a beech tree. 



Fig. I. Red slime-dux exuding from exposed wood on trunk of Ulmus campestris. 



In very many cases the flux exudes from frost-cracks or 

 cracks at the forks of branches, but not uncommonly it can be 

 seen to flow from the heart wood of a stiunp where a branch 

 has been cut off. In this it resembles the true brown flux to 

 be described later. In every case of the red flux which the writer 

 examined the exudation flowed from the wood and not from 

 the bark. 



The flux is active all through the year, but most strikingly 

 so in spring and early summer, at which periods also the red 

 colour is most pronounced. It is of a soft flabby nature but is 

 much firmer than the true bro\Mi flux, which, however, it 

 resembles in its penetrating musky odour. No smell of butyric 

 acid was e\adent, as was noted by Ludwig. 



