THE MOULD-FUNGI. 125 



11. Cladosporium herbarum is a mould which may occur 

 in fermentable liquids and in fermenting rooms. This organism 

 sometimes occurs in very large quantities in the latter ; 

 some years ago the author found the ceiling and a portion 

 of the walls in a bottom-fermentation room thickly covered 

 with small black patches ; these consisted of Cladosporium, 

 whose conidia were consequently always found in the yeast. 

 The plant consists of a yellowish-brown mycelium, with short, 

 straight filaments, stiff and brittle : those growing erect can 

 produce at their upper extremities conidia of very varying 

 forms spherical, oval, cylindrical, straight, or curved. The 

 systematic position of the mould and its possible genetic 

 connection with other known fungi is just as little established 

 as its influence on nutritive liquids. ERIKSSON states that rye 

 is sometimes attacked by Cladosporium, and that the mould, 

 consumed in rye-bread or in beer, may give rise to diseases 

 in the human being. 



Concerning these, or at least closely-related, forms, ZOPF 

 described exact morphological investigations accompanied by 

 numerous illustrations in his memoir on Fumago, and also in 

 his work on the fungi. These black, dew-like fungi just 

 mentioned occur very frequently on parts of plants. FKANK 

 correctly says : " We are still quite in the dark with regard 

 to specific differences, the reason of which is especially to be 

 found in the frequent polymorphism of these organisms, and 

 in the fact that the different evolution-forms are scarcely ever 

 found together." 



Among the various fungi occurring on the vine the two 

 following parasites have obtained an unenviable notoriety : 



O'idium (Erysiplie) Tuckeri, or "genuine mildew," forms 

 whitish spots on the leaves and shoots of the vine, which later 

 assume a brownish tinge. These consist of mycelium filaments 

 from which separate elliptical or oblong, colourless conidia, 

 8 ju. long and 5 JUL thick. The mycelium spreads over the 

 fruit, which is gradually covered with a tender growth of a 

 grey colour, while it thrusts through the fruit skin roundish 

 suckers, causing the epidermis cells to die. When grapes are 

 attacked in a younger state, the epidermis is unable to keep 

 up with the growth of the interior ; it then gradually splits 



