[Pboc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, 32 (N.S.), Pt. 11., 1920J. 



Art. XVII r. — TJie Eadopkytic Fungus of Loiium, Part L 



BY 



ETHEL McLennan, b.sc, 



(Lecturei* on Botany in the Melbourne University.) 



(With Plates XVIII. to XXVI. and 8 Text Figures.) 



[Read Dec. 11th, 1919.] 



Historical Introduction. 



Ihe fact, that grains of Lolium fe/?iulentum, L. (Darnel) con- 

 tain a layer of fungal hyphae, situated between the aleurone layer 

 and the fruit and seed coat, was demonstrated by Vogl (1) in 1898. 

 In the same year Guerin (2), Hanau&ek (3), and Nestler (4), pub- 

 lished papers dealing with this subject. 



These earlier workers drew attention to the fact that the presence- 

 of the fungus in the grain is a fairly constant feature. Guerin 

 examined samples of Lolium ttmuJenium from South America, 

 Asia, Africa, and Europe, and recorded that only three showed the- 

 absence of hyphae. He failed to note their presence in the embryo, 

 although they were observed in the ovary before the fertilisation 

 of the ovum. Lolitirn arvense, With., and Lolium Umcolum. 

 Sond., were also found to be fungal-containing, but he reported 

 only one example of Lolium perenne, L., with the fungus. He sug- 

 gested that the presence of the fungus in the Darnel grains is 

 probably an example of symbiosis rather than one of actual para- 

 sitism. 



Hanausek's results confirmed those of Guerin, and, in addition, 

 he noted the presence of the hpyhae in the nucellus of the young 

 ovary, where, he stated, it produced knots. This fact, he suggested, 

 indicates a possible affinity of the fungus in question with the- 

 Ustilagineae. 



Hanausek never examined a Darnel grain without finding hyphae' 

 in the usual position, but all samples of Z. perenne, L. examined 

 showed the absence of hyphae. 



Nestler working along the same lines traced tlie distribution of 

 the fungus in the seedling, and in the growing plant right up to 

 the formation of the grain. He, in addition, tried to cultivate the 

 fungus in artificial media with negative results. Only a few 

 grains were found to be devoid of the fungus. He examined several' 



