FUNGI IMPERFECT I 



organism with the aetiology of pityriasis simplex capitis and pityria- 

 sis alba. 



Its shape somewhat resembles a budding yeast or a flask. The 

 size varies greatly; the maximum diameter of some individuals 

 may be as much as lo to 15 but much smaller forms (3 to 5 /^) 

 are found. 



Pityrosporum cantliei (Castellani, 1908). 



Synonym. — Saccharomyces cantliei Castellani, igo8. 



Somewhat similar toPityrosporunt ovale, but the cells are generally 

 roundish and on the average larger (5 to 16 /j,). Probably the cause 

 of a variety of seborrhoea of the scalp occasionally met with in 

 children in the tropics. 



'Family 2: Oosporace^ Saccardo, 1886. 



Definition. — -Blastosporineae in which the hyphae may be long or 

 little different from the spores, which are typically in chains. 



Classification. — ^This family is divided into several genera — e.g. 

 Odspora Wallroth, 1833; Monilia Persoon, 1797; 3indj0idiuM Link, 

 1809, which may be distinguished as follows:- — 



A. Hyphae thin, short, simple, or nearly simple, terminating in chains 



of spores — Odspora. 



B. Hyphae not thin, often long and branched: — 



I. Sporophores simple or subsimple, typically with disjunction 



apparatus. Glucose completely fermented, gas being pro- 

 duced. Numerous budding forms in cultures — Monilia. 



II. Sporophores simple, septate often with disjunction apparatus. 



Glucose not completely fermented, gas not being produced. 

 Budding forms rare in cultures — Oidium. 



These genera may now be briefly described. 



Genus Oospora Wallroth, 1833. 



Definition.^ — Oosporaceae with a lax or compact mycelium in 

 which the hyphae are slender, septate, and marked by differentiated 

 nuclei. The fertile hyphae are short, slender, and nearly simple. 

 The conidia, which are globose or ovoidal, hyaline or brightly 

 coloured, are arranged regularly in chains. 



Remarks. — Saccardo in his * Sylloge Fungorum ' recognizes a 

 large number of species as belonging to this genus, and these are 

 grouped into sections by the varying colour of the conidia. 



The only species known to cause disease in animals referable to 

 this genus is Odspora canina Sabrazes, 1893, which causes favus in 

 dogs, and which can produce an eruption resembling ringworm 

 when inoculated into man. According to Sabouraud, however, it 

 has never been known to cause disease in man spontaneously (i.e., 

 without experimental inoculation), and is therefore of little import- 

 ance at present. 



Vuillemin considers that Achorion schoenleini Lebert, 1845, the 

 fungus of favus of human origin, belongs to this genus. 



