64 Forest Club Annual 



from single ascospores of the chestnut fungus produced typical 

 pycnidia and pycnospores as found on the chestnut, but none of 

 the slender, curved or hooked bodies, which he calls scolecospores 

 and which seem to be a rather constant characteristic of the 

 pycnidial forms of typical Diaporthe species, have been found. 

 Studies made in 1907 convinced him that it was most closely 

 related to the genus Endothia, as that genus is at present in- 

 terpreted by mycologists. 



Rehm ( 14), on the other hand, maintains that it is a Valsonec- 

 tria. This genus, established by Spegazzini in 1883, includes only 

 two saprophytic species and has circinate perithecia, asci cylin- 

 drical and truncated at the apex ; characters which are lacking in 

 the fungus in question. 



Clinton (3) also questions the nomenclature of the chestnut 

 bark fungus. He thinks that perhaps it had been collected 

 before under some other name and calls our attention to the fact 

 that it comes more naturally under the genus Endothia, and is 

 closely related to E. gyrosa. Clinton further states that he found 

 Endothia g\rosa on two species of oak collected in Connecticut 

 and the District of Columbia. From his studies of the fungus 

 he concludes that Diaporthe parasitica belongs to the same genus 

 with the Endothia gyrosa on oak, and that they are probably dis- 

 tinct species. 



The Andersons ( 1 ) conclude that there is no question but that 

 the "western Connellsville fungus" is very closely related to 

 Diaporthe parasitica and should be placed in the same genus. 

 Following Saccardo's system of classification it undoubtedly falls 

 in the genus Endothia and fits well his description of Endothia 

 gyrosa in so far as the spore measurements and macroscopic 

 characters are concerned. They suggest the retention of the 

 name Endothia for the forms such as Saccardo includes under it: 

 (1) E. radicalis (Schw.) Fr., (2) the true blight fungus, which 

 they call E. parasitica, and (3) the "western Connellsville" 

 fungus, for which they propose the name E. virginiana. 



Shear and Stevens (17) studied the methods of separating the 

 different species of fungi associated with the chestnut bark dis- 

 ease. The chestnut bark fungus Endothia parasitica is said to 

 have three rather close relatives, Endothia radicalis, Ilndothia 

 radicalis mississippiensis, and Endothia gyrosa. In their pycni- 

 dial stage these species are said to be difficult to distinguish either 

 by macroscopic or microscopic examination. Studies of more 

 than 2,000 pure cultures of these fungi, to test their relation 

 to light, moisture, and temperature, and their behavior on 

 different culture media, were made. It was found that they 



