OH. xxvi.] NEW DISEASES OF WHEAT, ETC. 



209 



botanists, we have heard of it from agriculturists at various 

 places. The upper portion of an infected ear, as sent to 

 us by Mr. Chas. B. Plowright from "West Lynn, Norfolk, 

 is illustrated, natural size, at Fig. 91. The dwindled por- 

 tion at the apex from A to B is the 

 part overrun by the Fusisporium. 

 The fungus, owing to its orange 

 colour, gives the ear a spurious ap- 

 pearance of ripeness. When the 

 plant is magnified 400 diameters, it 

 is seen, as at A, Fig. 92, where the 

 crescent - shaped fusiform septate 

 spores, so characteristic of the fungus, 

 are illustrated. One of the spores 

 at B is seen breaking up into four 

 portions. After a short rest each 

 portion will burst and produce new 

 mycelium. A single spore is farther 

 enlarged to 1000 diameters at C. 

 The long cells at D belong to one of 

 the outer glumes of the wheat spike- 

 let. This plant may be named 

 Fusisporium culmorum, W.Sm., and 

 described as follows : Mycelium 

 effused, gelatinous, yellow or orange, 

 sparingly septate, torulose ; spores 

 large, fusiform, 3 '5 septate, orange. On wheat, fixing 

 the pales, glumes, and spikelets together. 



Another Fusisporium, belonging to barley, has recently 

 attracted attention, and this was described and illustrated 

 with two plates in the Jour. Roy. Micro. Soc. for June 

 1883, p. 321, under, as we think, the incorrect name, as 

 furnished by Dr. Chr. Hansen of Copenhagen, of Fusarium 

 graminearum, Schwb. ; this is the F. graminum of Corda. 

 Unfortunately no scale of magnification was given with 

 the plates. The author of the article, Mr. Chas. Geo. 

 .Avs, AV.IS good enough to send us some of the infected 

 P 



FIG. 91. Upper part of 

 an infected ear of wheat 

 invaded by Fusisporium 

 ciiZmorwra, W.Sm. Nat- 

 ural size. 



