VI 



COFFEE 169 



used for coffee shade (Cuxil and Pateno). Free liming 

 of the soil and planting and pruning to permit free 

 circulation of air and sunlight have been recommended. 



Delacroix reports another root disease from Guade- 

 loupe. He believes it to be due to either Dematophora 

 sp. or to Rosellinia sp. An undetermined species of 

 Helosis has been reported from Sumatra. 



The so-called Tap Root disease is not caused by 

 fungi, but is due to Nematodes. The symptoms 

 vary with the age of the trees. On old trees the leaves 

 and young twigs turn yellowish -green and shrive], the 

 young shoots blacken and wilt. This may last for 

 many months before the death of the plant. Trees 

 four to six years of age may have a healthy appearance 

 and suddenly collapse. The tap-roots are much swollen, 

 the bark is thick and water-soaked. The worms are in 

 the cork cells. The small roots are irregular and knotty. 

 Saprophytic fungi are usually present, especially if the 

 trees have been diseased for some time. The trees 

 rarely recover. The disease has been reported from 

 various parts of the West Indies, Central and South 

 America, and Java, and is, no doubt, very widely 

 distributed in the Western Hemisphere. HoVever, it 

 may very readily be confused with diseases which are 

 due to other causes. 



Other fungi which are reported as occurring on the 

 coffee are : Polyporus flavus, on the roots in Guate- 

 mala ; Phyllosticta coffeicola, Speg. ; Coniotliyrium 

 coffeae, Colletotrichum incarnatum, Zimm. ; and 

 Cephaleuros virescens, Kunze, is said to attack the 

 Liberian coffee. 



Parasitic Phanerogams. Coffee is subject to the 

 attacks of phanerogams which are more or less similar 

 in their character and mode of attack to the mistletoes. 

 Some of the most common are : 



Lorantlius orinocensis, Spr. ^ 

 Loranthus avicularis, Mart. > in Venezuela. 

 Lorantlius parviflorus, See. ) 

 Loranthus brasiliensis in Brazil. 



