180 



ASCOMYCETES. 



In this group are included certain species of fungi which are 

 able of themselves to induce rot in ripe fruit. Davaine^ was 

 the first to direct attention to these, and recently they have been 

 made the subject of very searching investigations by Wehmer.^ 

 According to this author, only a limited- number of species of 

 fungi accompany this kind of rot and give rise to it primarily. 

 As a rule they effect an entrance by some wound, possibly also 

 through lenticels or other apertures. Some forms prefer certain 

 species of host-fruit, in some cases even certain varieties. 



Wehmer gives the following synopsis : 



Fkuit. 

 Apple, 

 Pear, 

 Medlar, 



Grape, 

 Plum,- 



Cadse op Eipe-bot. 

 ( Fenidllium glaumm. 

 \ Mucor piriformis. 

 \{Miicor stolonifer.) 

 ( Penicillium glaucum. 

 \Botrytis cinerea. 



{Mucor racemosus. 

 PeniciUiumglauffam. 



Feuit. 

 Orange, "I 

 Citron, .- 

 Mandarin, J 

 Cherry, 



Walnut, 



Cause oi' Ripe-bot. 



I Penicillium italicum, 

 Penicilliwmolivaceum. 



Penicillium glaucum. 



{Botrytis cinerea. 

 Penicillium glaucum . 



He then arranges them according to their occurrence, beginning 

 with the most frequent : 



■ Fenicillium glauciim Link. : on stone-fruits, pome-fruits, grapes, 

 walnuts, especially common on apples. 



Penicillium italicum Wehmer : on southern fruits, e.g. citrou, 

 orange, mandarin. 



Mucor piriformis Fisch. : on pome-fruits, particularly on pears. 



Botrytis cinerea Pers. : on grapes and walnuts. 



The following are less common species: 



Penicillium olivaceum Wehmer : on southern fruits. 



Mucor raconosus Fres. : on plums. 



Mivcor stolonifer Ehrenb. : on apples. 



Eipe fruit should be so treated as to remove risk of infection as 

 much as possible. This is done by storing the fruits in airy, dry 

 places, and in loose contact with each other. A damp atmosphere 

 promotes infection and facilitates the progress of rot. All decaying 

 fruit should be separated at once, and valuable fruits are best 

 isolated by wrapping singly in tissue paper before transportation. 



^Davaine, " Reoherohes sur la pourriture des fruits et des vegetaux vivants," 

 Com,pt. rend., lxiii., 1866. 

 'Wehmer, Beitriige z. Kenntniss einhemischer Pilze, Jena (Fischer), 1895. 



