THE BOOK OF THE PEONY 



article on the symptoms and destructiveness of 

 this disease in the Florists' Exchange, September 

 14, 1912. 



Symptoms. — The disease affects stems, buds, 

 and leaves, appearing on these organs in the 

 Spring and Summer in the order given. The first 

 appearance of the malady is almost always early 

 in the Spring as the stalks are coming up. Shoots 

 4 to 8 inches tall, their leaves not yet expanded, 

 will suddenly wilt and fall over. Examination 

 shows them to be rotted at the base at or below the 

 surface of the soil. The lesions begin usually at 

 the base of the first leaf sheath and spread down 

 to the crown and up often an inch or more above 

 ground. The rotted portion soon becomes cov- 

 ered with a felty brown coat of spores and spore 

 stalks of the fungus, thus distinguishing it from 

 the similar stem rot caused by Sclerotinia. While 

 it is generally the young stems that are affected, 

 I have seen stalks with blossoms opening, sud- 

 denly wilt and fall over from Botrytis stem rot 

 at the base. 



The buds are the next to show injury from 

 this disease. Sometimes the very small young 

 buds are attacked, turn black and dry up. This 

 is often spoken of as bud blast. Larger buds are 



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