244 SYMBIOSIS 



conditions " and even antagonistic to the former inasmuch as the 

 bad is the enemy of the good. Orchid-cwm-fungus Symbiosis, 

 in my opinion, is a " Luxury Symbiosis," detracting from the 

 value of orchidrcm-insect Symbiosis and leaving the organism 

 which has most to lose through inferior association, namely the 

 orchid, the poorer in the end. Often enough the moribund 

 condition of the orchid is marked by its sickly appearance, whilst 

 its general " illth" may also be gleaned from its sparse distribution. 



Like the fungus, the orchid, too, has an interest in dead or 

 decaying organic matter, being little given to tilth in pioneer 

 fashion. And roots which are not properly exercised, like teeth 

 with too much soft and sloppy food, decay. The orchid, being 

 thus situated, finds " congenial " helpers in the fungi which, 

 provided certain conditions of mutual exchange are fulfilled, 

 are able to supplement the needs of the orchid in some important 

 ways. 



What Prof. Bernard claims to have done is this : 



J'ai cherche comment 1'etat de symbiose se modifie quand on passe 

 d'Orchidees simples et primitives a d'autres qui atteignent un plus haut 

 degre de complexit6. J'estime avoir ainsi apprecie les etapes successives 

 de 1' adaptation des Orchidees & leurs hotes avec autant de certitude qu'on 

 en puisse esperer en semblable matiere. 

 And he has found that : 



Au degre le plus inferieur, chez de rares Orchidees comme Bletilla 

 hyacinthina, la symbiose ne s'etablit pas necessairement des le debut de 

 la vie ; les plantules peuvent avoir un developpement autonome plus ou 

 moins prolonge. L'association une fois realis6e reste d'ailleurs inter- 

 mittente : chaque annee des racines se developpent et s'infestent, pendant 

 que poussent les tiges aeriennes fugaces ; puis, les racines meurent, comme 

 les tiges memes, et la plante reste pendant plusieurs mois reduite a un 

 rhizome indemne de champignons. Dans ce cas meme 1'infestation des 

 racines chez les plantes adultes est la regie et Ton peut parler de symbiose. 

 Mais 1'etat d'un Bletilla est en r6alite bien proche de celui d'une plante 

 sujette a une maladie cryptogamique benigne, capable de recidiver. 



All of which, however, fails to enlighten us about what is 

 most worth knowing, namely, concerning the determining factor 

 of partnership or " concord," on the one, and of " maladie," or 

 " discord," on the other hand. Clearly " maladie benigne," 

 will not do ; neither can we countenance " proximity " of 

 " maladie benigne," which is far too ambiguous, for a little more 

 of " benigne " may usher in perfect health almost before we 

 know it. It is already perplexing enough to find such terms as 

 "adaptation" and "host" indiscriminately bandied about in 



