16 
hairs 
1.5 mm. long; flowers pale green, 16 mm. high, the segments: 
acute. 
Among small stones in barren savanna southeast of Holguin, 
Oriente (J. A. Shafer 2946). 
Cactus Harlowii sp. nov. 
Plants light green, 2.5 dm. high or less, simple or sometimes 
in clusters of 3 to 6 on the tops of old individuals. Ribs 12, 
rather narrow; areoles becoming glabrate, closely set (less than 
I cm. apart); radial spines about 12, slender, slightly spreading, 
IO to 20 mm. long, reddish, becoming straw-colored in age; 
central spines 4, similar to the radials, stouter and longer, some- 
times 3 cm. long, often somewhat curved; cephalium prominent, 
composed of white wool and fine reddish brown bristles projecting 
beyond the wool; flowers small, 2 cm. long, deep rose red; fruit 
deep red, obovoid, short, 2 cm. long; seeds black, shining. 
Coastal cliffs, U. S. Naval Station, southern Oriente, March, 
1909. N. L. Britton 1965. 
Named іп honor of Captain Charles Henry Harlow, U.S.N., 
commandant at the Naval Station at the time this interesting 
species was collected. 
CURRENT LITERATURE 
A NEW PAINT-DESTROYING FUNGUS is the title of an interesting 
paper by Mr. George Massee, in the Bulletin of Miscellaneous 
Information of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, England, No. 8, 
р. 325. In this place Mr. Massee describes a new species 
(Phoma pigmentivora Mass.) which is very destructive to white 
paint when present in greenhouses having a high humidity and 
temperature. We know that certain fungi grow upon media as 
diverse and apparently unsuitable as dilute mineral acids, writing 
ink, tannic acid solutions, etc., but they do not often fruit under 
such conditions. However, this fungus not only grows upon 
the paint, but seems to flourish and even produces its fruit in 
abundance. At first thought it seems somewhat startling that a 
plant should thrive upon a medium like paint containing large 
amounts of lead, which 's usually one of the most toxic of agents 
acting upon organisms. This is another example of the great 
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