222 Transactions of the Boyal Society of South Africa. 



terised by their smooth, fulvous, almost velvety surface, which extends over 

 the edge on to the lower surface. 



The substance of the pileus is hard and woody and of a raw sienna 

 colour ; a section , shows the outer rind' to be inclined towards Vandyke 

 brown. The whole sporophore is exceedingly hard and woody. 



The lower surface of the sporophore is a dull reddish-brown and smooth 

 and velvety to the touch. The pores are minute, on the average 112-132 /a 

 across, hardly discernible to the nated eye, 3-6 to the mm. ; dissepiments 

 rather thick, on the average 78-125 fi, and poremouths entire and 

 circular. 



The tubes are arranged in strata, not always very distinct, 2-6 mm. long, 

 and are a light brown (raw sienna). They extend practically to the surface, 

 there being only a thin, hard, woody context tissue '3-1 cm. thick and zoned. 

 The tubes of the older strata later become plugged by mycelial hyphae, and 

 this plugging appears to start irregularly in any particular layer. As has 

 also been pointed outby other writers, a large number of spores are frequently 

 imprisoned in these plugged-up tubes. 



The spores (Fig. 14) are abundant, yellowish-brown, smooth, globose, or 

 slightly oval, 4-35-5 /x diameter. Setae are absent. 



The fructifications do not form after the trees are dead, nor does the 

 diseased wood when used for poles, etc., continue to rot. This was also 

 reported by von Schrenk* for the locust tree, and would suggest, as pointed 

 out by him, that conditions in the living tree must be essentially difEeren 

 from those existing after the tree is dead. 



The description of the fructification is from specimens taken from 

 Sneezewood, and the size that most f req^uently met with on the above tree. 

 The largest specimen (frontispiece) seen by the author was from Elaeodendron 

 croceum (saffron wood) and measured 73 x 36 x 28 cms. Its weight was 

 24i lb. It was collected at Znysna by Mr. C. E. Legat, Chief Conservator 

 of Forests for the Union. 



GONTEOL OF THE HeAET EoT CAUSED BT FOMES EIMOSTJS. 



We have seen that Fames rimosus is a w'ound parasite, and the two 

 methods of control which suggest themselves are : 



(1) The prevention of wounds. 



(2) The removal of the primary sources of infection. 



Whereas on large areas it would be practically impossible, from an 

 economic point of view, to treat trees individually, yet nevertheless much can 

 be done in a general way to lessen the chances of natural wound infection. 



The most practical method for combating heart rot is undoubtedly the 



* Sohreuk, Herman von, o^i. cU., p. 29. 



