212 DISEASES OF FIELD & GARDEN CROPS. [cir. 



affected grains can possibly germinate. 

 In both wheat and barley the fungi 

 when present give the grain a peculiar 

 and disagreeable taste. Mr. Matthews 

 states that when the Fusisporiurn is 

 introduced into sterilised beer-wort it 

 gives rise to sluggish ferments, pro- 

 ducing alcohol and carbonic acid gas. 

 This species may be named Fusisporium 

 hordei, W.Sm., and described as fol- 

 lows : Mycelium rose-coloured or 

 crimson ; torulose, effused, forming 

 a thick gelatinous stratum, septate ; 

 spores fusiform, acuminate at both 

 ends, 1'3 septate, rose-coloured, crim- 

 son, or cinnabar-red. On barley, form- 

 ing red gelatinous patches. 



The third illustration at Fig. 95 

 shows, natural size, an orange-coloured 

 Fusisporium on the common and valu- 

 able perennial rye-grass, Lolium perenne, 

 L. The spike illustrated is ergotised, 

 and the example illustrated was sent by 

 Mr. Chas. B. Plowright from Norfolk. 

 The Fusisporium is shown at A, B, C, 

 and D. Lolium perenne, L., is unusu- 

 ally subject to ergot, and it is remark- 

 able that in the spike illustrated the 

 Fusisporium was invading the ergot as 

 well as the different parts of the 

 spikelet and seed. Young ergots are 

 shown at E, F, and G ; others are 



Hum perenne, L., in- ? . * . 



vaded by Ergot and curious species is enlarged 400 dia- 

 Loiu, meters at Fig. 96, a single spore being 

 enlarged to 1000 diameters at A ; the 

 illustration at B shows the mycelium running over the 



Fusisporium 

 W.Sm. 



