120 UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN STUDIES 



times. They are variable but often fixed and permanent. 

 They are so manifold in character that cultures show a great 

 variety of appearances and two strains identical at first may 

 later through these changes become quite different in appear- 

 ance. De Beurmann and Gougerot state in their monograph 

 on page 133 (Les Sporotrichoses) that they have observed 

 strains of Sporotrichum beurmanni (notably of the race 

 alpha), through pleomorphic change, become identical with 

 Sporotrichum schenckii. Others have become identical with 

 Sporotrichum jeanselmei or have even simulated Sporotrichum 

 gouyeroti. Again certain strains have reverted to short forms 

 comparable to yeast or blastomycetes. My own work also con- 

 firms in general the above observations of de Beurmann and 

 Gougerot. I have noted yeast-like forms in certain strains 

 and a great many changes in pigmentation and other morpho- 

 logical appearances, some of which are fluctuating, others are 

 apparently permanent. 



In the light, then, of the above facts it seems to me that dis- 

 tinctions of these sporotricha based on pigmentation become 

 valueless because of these easy and striking fluctuations. So, 

 too, surface convolutions and forms simulating the cone of a 

 volcano are factors which change under conditions favoring 

 pleomorphism. 



Under microscopic aspect of cultures on slides and in hang- 

 ing drop in their outline de Beurmann and Gougerot consider 

 especially spore formation. They have repeatedly stated that 

 in cultures of Sporotrichum schenckii the spores are rare or 

 even at times absent on the filaments. This is true, at least, of 

 certain cultures that develop little or no pigment. As a dif- 

 ferentiating feature, however, this point is not necessarily 

 significant. I have noted other strains, especially the non- 

 pigmented ones, which show this same characteristic. This 

 dearth of spores in the strain of Sporotrichum schenckii -which 

 they examined was, I think, no doubt due to a pleomorphic 

 change. It is important to note the fact, which they have not 

 referred to in their publications, that in the original articles 

 of both Schenck and Hektoen and Perkins several photo- 

 graphs of unstained organisms show the mycelium with spores 

 attached to the sides and ends in great abundance. I think 



