Lily Diseases 



283 



bundles and are brownish to reddish in color, finally 

 becoming reddish brown with age. 



Control, This disease may be kept in check by 

 spraying with a standard fungicide. 



Japan Lily Disease 



Caused by Rhizopus necans Mass. 



Symptoms, This disease is characterized by a soft; 

 rot of lily bulbs, especially Lilium speciosum, and 

 L. auratum. The malady was studied by Massee * 

 who found it on imported bulbs from Japan. The 

 causal organism seems to be a wound parasite, that 

 gains entrance to the roots through a wound. From 

 the roots, it works its way up to the scales and causes 

 them to rot. Diseased bulbs generally become cov- 

 ered by a white weft of mycelial growth which is 

 soon followed by numerous clusters of sporophores 

 bearing black globose sporangia. 



The Organism, The mycelium is white, the sporo- 

 phores forked or simple. Sporangia globose, black- 

 ish to deep brown, columella large. Spores striated, 

 pale olive. Zygospores dark, and covered with 

 spiny warts. 



Control. WHiere the disease occurs once, the soil 

 should not be used again unless it has been sterilized 

 with steam or formaldehyde. Injured bulbs should 

 not be planted. In shipping bulbs, care should be 

 taken that they are not packed damp. 



* Massee, Diseases of Cultivated Plants and Trees: 133, 1910 

 (Macmillan Co., New York). 



