SOME CHARACTERS OF THE SOUTHERN 

 TUCKAHOE 



John A. Elliott 

 (With Plates 17 and 18) 



The literature on Pachyma cocos is so abundant and covers so 

 long a period that even a complete bibliography would take con- 

 siderable space. Regardless of this fact, the fungus still remains 

 a mycological rnystery about which even the smallest additional 

 information is likely to be of interest. 



Although work had previously been done (5) toward establish- 

 ing the purely fungoid nature of the tuckahoe, Prillieux (6) appar- 

 ently deserves the credit of having first definitely stated that it was 

 made up entirely of fungous elements. Fischer (4) carried- the 

 work considerably further in showing rather conclusively how the 

 different types of tissues arose. The relation between the tucka- 

 hoe and the roots to which it was usually found attached has been 

 variously explained. The early observers considered it entirely an 

 outgrowth of the roots on which it was found. Berkeley (1) 

 thought it an abnormal development of the root, induced, perhaps, 

 by the action of a fungus. Fischer's conclusion that the tuckahoe 

 is parasitic (4) in its nature has apparently not been questioned; 

 but while there is no doubt that the fungus is destructive to woody 

 tissues, from the information collected by Gore (5) it would seem 

 that the fungus is a saprophyte, although it may be a facultative 

 parasite as well. 



The chemical nature of the tuckahoe was the first of its char- 

 acters satisfactorily established. Torrey (7) reported the first 

 analysis of the tuckahoe in 1821, stating that it was made up 

 largely of a vegetable principle, which he called " sclerotin," and 

 following Braconnet's (3) work on pectic acid, Torrey (8) identi- 

 fied his " sclerotin " as the pectic acid of Braconnet. 



The generic relations of the tuckahoe have always been a matter 

 of interest and speculation. There is little object in going into 



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