174 DISEASES OF TROPICAL PLANTS OH. 



Bordeaux mixture have been suggested as possible 

 remedies. 



Leaf Felt. This disease has been reported as attack- 

 ing the leaves of Thea assamica in Java. It is due to a 

 fungus, Hypochnus theae, Bernard, which appears as a 

 thin slightly reddish mass of mycelium on the twigs and 

 under sides of the leaves. It is not a true parasite, but 

 when abundant interferes with the physiological functions 

 of the plant. It can be controlled by spraying with 

 Bordeaux mixture. 



Red Rust, White Blight, or " Leprosy."- -This is one of 

 the most widely distributed and most destructive diseases 

 of the tea. It is due to a lichen Cephaleurus mycoidea, 1 

 Karsten, which occurs on both stems and leaves attacked, 

 and produces spores by which it spreads to other plants. 

 When the fungal element unites with the alga, it 

 produces a true lichen containing the ascigerus fruit. 

 It penetrates the stems of the diseased plants and proves 

 very destructive. This disease also occurs on Camellia 

 japonica, Cinnamomum iners, Colathea metallica, 

 Pandanus sp., Albizzia stipulata, Tephrosia Candida, 

 and many other plants. 



A very similar disease has been described by Ward,-' 

 who believes that it may be the same as or closely 

 related to Cephaleurus mycoidea. It attacks plants 

 with hard persistent leaves such as Coffeae liberica, 

 Jxora sp., Thea sp., Memecylon sp., Eugenia sp., 

 Anona sp., Elaeagnus sp., Magnolia sp., Citrus sp., 

 Duria sp., Sideroxylon sp., Quassia sp., and Michelia 

 sp., in which it produces orange-red circular or stellate 

 patches which become green or grey -greenish, then 

 whitish or grey and finally glistening white, shining 

 circular or irregular branched groups. Eventually the 

 fruiting bodies appear in these greyish patches as 



1 Synonyms Mycoidea parasitica, Cunningham ; Cephaleurus virescens, 

 Kunze. 



2 H. Marshall Ward, " On the Structure, Development, and Life-history of a 

 Tropical Epiphyllus Lichen." (Strigula complanata, Fee, fide Rev. J. M. Crombie). 

 Trans. Lond. Linn. Soc. (2nd. ser.) Botany (1881, 1887), vol. Ixxxviii. 

 pp. 87-119. 



