12 



Sometimes the fungus attacks young stems, where it causes con- 

 spicuous scars and so weakens the points affected that they are easily 

 broken by the wind. The berries also are attacked, a slight discolo- 

 ration of the grain being frequently caused. 



The microscope shoAvs the filaments, which are solid, not hollow, as 

 sometimes stated, to be made up of the fine fungus threads which 

 are somewhat branched in the upper part to form the head. The 

 ends of the threads are swollen and have sometimes been mis- 

 taken for spores when seen in cross section (PL VII, B), and de- 

 scribed as such. No real spores have ever been found in any of the 

 numerous specimens examined. The fungus is distributed by the 

 heads at the ends of the filaments being caught by the wind or rain- 

 drops and carried to near-by leaves, a process facilitated by the heads 

 becoming loosened in the older filaments through the formation of 

 cavities or "lacunae" near the point of attachment. (PL VII, B.) 

 The head is soon fastened to the leaf on which it happens to fall by 

 the numerous threads which it sends out at the point of contact. 

 Within less than a week a dark circular spot is formed and new fila- 

 ments appear and new loosely attached heads are formed on these by 

 means of which the spread of the disease is continued. Apparently 

 this fungus has no other way of propagating itself, and the writer 

 has not found any other stage of Stilbella fiavida, all inoculations 

 into coffee with suspected forms resulting negatively. Among other 

 fungi used in such inoculations was one which answers so fully to 

 the descriptions of SphcBrostilbe flavida'^ that it may be consid- 

 ered identical with that fungus. As Sfhcerostilbe fiavida is some- 

 times referred to as the perfect stage of Stilbella favlda^ as full use 

 as possible was made of the small amount of material available . This 

 fungus was first found here on a berry, which, with others bearing 

 Stilbella spots, had been sterilized externally and placed in a moist 

 chamber. Later the same fungus was found on a coffee berry still 

 attached to the tree, where several of the Nectria-like fruits had de- 

 veloped in a spot made by Stilbella. These were studied more fully. 

 Direct inoculations of the perithecia into coffee berries did not take. 

 In drop cultures of the ascospores a Cephalosporium developed. In 

 pure cultures from single ascospores this fungus and later a Fusa- 

 rium developed. This material w^as used in inoculation both into 

 the berries on the tree and into very thoroughly disinfected and 

 washed berries in flasks. A slight infection resulted on the unpicked 

 berries. On those in the flasks perithecia identical with those from 

 which the ascospores had been taken developed. But in no case did 

 Stilbella fiavida result from the inoculations. Those made into 

 leaves did not take. The work failed to show any relation between 

 the fungus used in the inoculations and Stilbella fiavida. Of the 



1 Massee, Roy. Bot. Gard. Kew, Bui. Misc. Inform., 1909, No, 8, pp. 337-341. 



