206 PLANT DISEASES 



A. mucida. ' At the end of the second season after inocula- 

 tion, the branch was killed for a considerable distance, and 

 the sporophores of the fungus appeared in abundance. 

 The spores also germinate readily on very small wounds 

 made in the bark. A reddish-brown zone indicates the 

 point reached by the mycelium of the fungus in the wood. 

 The decayed wood is quite white, and very tender. 



The fungus often grows in clusters, and is readily 

 recognised by being white, and everywhere exceedingly 

 glutinous, as if smeared with thick gum. There is a ring 

 on the stem, which is sometimes greyish, as is also the cap. 

 The fungus is edible, and has a very pleasant flavour. 



PREVENTIVE MEANS. Destroy the fungus, and protect 

 wounded parts with tar, filling up cavities used for nesting 

 by birds. 



BANANA DISEASE 

 (Marasmius semiustus, Berk, and Curt.) 



In Trinidad and other islands in the West Indies a 

 banana disease is not uncommon, due to the presence of 

 a small agaric having the pileus half to one inch across, 

 very thin, and yellowish-brown ; gills rather wide apart, 

 thin, dirty white, stem about half to three-quarters of an 

 inch long, very thin, with a flattish foot of attachment. 



These fungi grow in immense numbers on the stem of 

 the banana plant, and the mycelium permeates the tissues 

 and attacks the inflorescence or the flower-stalk as it grows 

 up the centre of the leaf-sheaths forming the * stem.' In 

 old or dead plants immense numbers of minute whitish 

 sclerotia, usually not larger than the head of a pin, are 

 present in the tissue of the leaf-sheaths. 



